MIRPURKHAS, Oct 23: Growers started preparing their land for sowing wheat and other Rabi crops after rainwater has receded from most of their farmland.

They have hired labourers to weed out wild plants and shrubs and rented machines to level land in Mirpurkhas, Hussain Bux Mari, Sindhri, Kot Ghulam Mohammad and Digri talukas.

However, some of the farmers fear that the rise in underground water table will create some problems for them.

A number of landlords have approached EDO (agriculture) to seek laser machines for levelling land.

Heavy rains struck the district on Aug 9 and continued intermittently for one and a half months, creating a flood-like situation. Towns and villages were affected by three to four feet of accumulated water and standing crops were destroyed.

The director of Nara Canal Ghulam Mustafa Ujjan said that the rise in underground water would cause some problems for Rabi crops.

The president of the Mirpurkhas chapter of Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, Mir Zafarullah Talpur, said the government was yet to launch its plan for providing free fertiliser and seed to rain-hit growers who were preparing their land for sowing the crops between Nov 15 and Dec 15.

He appealed to the president, prime minister, Sindh chief minister and other authorities concerned to ensure free supply of fertilisers and seed to farmers.

HUNGER STRIKE:

Local leaders of the Pakistan People's Party and its affiliated organisations announced on Sunday that they would observe a token hunger strike at the Post Office Chowk from Monday to draw attention to the deteriorating law and order situation in the areas of Town police station.

PPP leaders Malik Yasin Ghori, Niaz Pathan and Ali Akbar Narejo told journalists that the hunger strike would continue till the transfer of police officers who, they alleged, were patronising gambling and narcotic dens in the town.