Countering water theft: ‘Police need to support us’

BAHAWALPUR: “Police are not cooperating with us in the operation against water thieves. The delay in registering cases against the thieves has made them bolder,” Executive Engineer (Canal Division) Chaudhry Muhammad Naeem said on Tuesday. Talking to reporters, he said during the crop (kharif) season, the Irrigation Department had sent 2,792 cases to the police. However, he regretted that the police had only registered 179 cases and arrested only 213 people in 2012 far. He said in October alone, 178 cases were forwarded to the police, of which they took action on one case and arrested one thief. He said Irrigation Department officials had informed the district police officer in this regard seeking his direction to the police for speedy registration of cases.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2012.