Legal action: Police register case against illegal blockage of water canal

The farmers were protesting against the bias shown by the irrigation department.

KARACHI: The Badin police have registered an FIR against 247 persons for illegally blocking the water canal near Shadi Large, an area of the Tando Bago taluka.

The growers who have been nominated in the FIR staged a protest in the town and have appealed to shopkeepers to shut their businesses on Monday.

According to the police, over 200 people of the area first held a demonstration over what they felt was bias shown by the irrigation department and then suspended the flow of water on Thursday, while the police lodged the FIR on Friday evening. "It is an illegal act," said SHO Khoski Maula Bux Jamali. He said that police are yet to arrest anyone involved in the FIR, but added that legal action will be taken against the lawbreakers.

The growers said that the police have nominated two persons in the FIR who died about 20 years ago. "Yes, it was mistakenly written but we have changed the names now," Jamali confirmed, saying that the fathers' names were nominated instead of the sons.

Different sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including Sections 353, 341, 147, 148, 149 and 504 have been added to the FIR.

The water shortage in the area has led to an increase in differences between growers and officials as well. According to a police official, the small growers believe that they are not being given their due share.

A local grower who is nominated in the FIR informed that the police were supporting influential growers, adding that the irrigation department has also cut water share of small growers.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2014.