Zarghoon Movement to protest canals’ contamination

PESHAWAR: The newly formed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zarghoon Tehrik is planning to hold a silent protest outside the Peshawar High Court today against the contamination of the irrigation system in the province.

Also called the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Green Movement, it would demand measures to save the irrigation system from pollution.

Abdul Wali Yousafzai, who retired as superintending engineer from the irrigation department late last year and is the leading light of the Zarghoon Movement told The News that the drainage system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was contaminating the canals and damaging the irrigation system. He argued that the irrigation system should be saved by tackling pollution of the canals.

Abdul Wali Yousafzai led an anti-encroachment drive in Mardan and Malakand in the last days of his service before retirement and retrieved large tracts of irrigation department’s land occupied for years by encroachers.

He asked the Peshawar High Court’s Chief Justice to take suo moto notice of this important issue as it concerns the livelihoods, health and future of the people. He said irrigation should get a higher share in the annual development programme.