Farmers confront irrigation minister over water shortages

SUKKUR: The farmers of Johi protesting over prolonged shortage of irrigation water to their crops confronted the Irrigation Minister Sohail Anwar Sial.

The farmers from Johi were protesting against the shortage of irrigation and drinking water and raised slogans against the PPP leadership and Sindh government for not attending to their emergent problem. They told the irrigation minister that there were drought like conditions at the tail-end farms and their crops have been destroyed due to water shortage but the irrigation department simply does not respond to their complaints and ignores water theft by the influential land holders and party leaders.

As the minister tried to assure and placate the farmers, he was interrupted by agitated farmers who demanded action rather than empty rhetoric. They said they would prefer to see irrigation water supply restored to the tail-ends and action taken against those stealing their rightful water share rather than pledges.