News Blog

MIRPURKHAS April 7. Cotton sowing was delaying in tail end areas of lower Nara canal owing to shortage of irrigation water. Report said that cotton sowing had been started in the province from April 1^st but water scarcity was prevailing in the tail end areas of lower Nara canal including Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar districts. It may be recalled that above tail end districts were produced more than cotton crop each year. Last year cotton was sowed at 40000 hectors in district Mirpurkhas. Growers were expecting the required supply of water in their distributaries and minors but as the cotton sowing season launched water supply was decreased and according to irrigation department water was being supplied 10500 cusec discharge in head of the Nara canal against the required 14000 cusec discharge. When contacted Mir Zafarullah Talpure, president Sindh chamber of agriculture district Mirpurkhas chapter accused that first the irrigation department was supplying the less water discharge in Nara head than required quantity while it had also been failed to remove over 400 illegal pumping machines installed at the both banks of Nara canal in district Khairpur that were the main source of wheat stealing. He further alleged that government had failed to approve the additional water in Nara canal of about 1 lakh acres that had been shifted to Nara canal from Rohri canal in past. He said that water theft had also become common in the command area of Nara canal and concerned authorities remained yet fail to take legal action against the culprits. He deplored that when water was reached in the limit of district Sanghar where also big landlords were allegedly stolen the irrigation water and added that such very less quantity of water was reached in districts Mirpurkhas and Umerkot. He said that if the present shortage of water was remained further a week then cotton sowing will be adversely affected and cotton sowing target might not be achieved in the tail end areas. He urged the higher authorities to take notice and ensure supply of required quantity of water in Nara head, stop the water stealing and remove the illegal pumping machines in the benefit of agriculture sector and common growers. Haji Abdul Ghafoor Maher advocate, vice president of Sindh abadgar board SAB district Mirpurkhas chapter said that cotton was cultivated at about 5 lakhs of acres in tail end Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar districts. He deplored that if the water supply was not improved in tail end areas then cotton crop will be cultivate at very less acres as result cotton production from this region would be reduced than last year. He said that water was the main source of crop and very less water quantity was entered into the above tail end areas due to open water theft. He said that without stoppage of water stealing, water supply could not be improved in tail end areas. He demanded the secretary irrigation, provincial minister for irrigation, director Nara canal and other authorities to ensure supply of water according to requirement in Nara canal head and stop immediately the water theft by taking drastic measures in this regard. Irrigation official said that efforts are being made to reach the irrigation water till tail end areas and hoped that water supply was improving day by day in Nara canal and added that cotton sowing will not be affected also in future. 

MIRPURKHAS April 7. Rally was taken out by health department Mirpurkhas from civil hospital to local press club under world health day here on Thursday. Participators including government officers, doctors, para medical staff and citizens led by EDO health Mirpurkhas Shafqat Dahri , carrying banners and placards marched through main roads and reached at local press club where speaking a the participators EDO health said that unnecessary use of anti biotic medicines might be proved harmful for the life . He asked the people to care of their health for forming healthy society. He said that purpose of rally was to create awareness among the masses. Regarding polio disease, he said that polio was the dangerous disease and health department was making all out efforts to end it from the society . He appealed the masses to cooperate with health staff to make successful anti polio campaign. Dr Mushtaque said that 24 hours health facility was being provided to the masses while teams were going door to door to administer the polio vaccine to the under 5 years children. 

 

MIRPURKHAS April 7. About 5 passengers of a Naokot bound van were burnt to death and various were injured in the terrorism incident at Bandi Shakh, near Al Abbas Sugar mill, at Mirpurkhas Digri road here on Thursday. Report said that there was ongoing dispute between two transport groups for running the van service between Mirpurkhas and Naokot. Report added that Van service had been stopped by administration in past while transport group of van had gone to Sindh high court circuit bench Hyderabad that had been ordered for running the van also on Naokot Mirpurkhas rout with separate timings , while transport group of coaster was opposing to run the van at this rout. Report said that a van with 22 passengers and a driver and cleaner left the bus terminal Mirpurkhas for Naokot along with police personnels but as this van reached at the ring road near Chona Factory, unknown armed persons opened fires on it for stoppage but van driver did not stop the van and taken the van in speed out of the range of the armed persons. Driver of the van Safdar Abbasi told the newsmen that as the van reached near Bandi Shakh, 4 unknown armed persons in a Core car no 643 reached there and stopped the van on gun point, dragged out him from the van , tortured him , while he saved his live to hide in nearby shrubs. He further said that armed persons resorted aerial and strait firing at the van and then hurled the kerosene oil on the van and set on fire even did not allow the passengers to come out of the van. He said that about 5 passengers burnt to death, while various passengers sustained burn injuries even saved their lives to take shelter in nearby villages. Armed persons easily escaped away from the spot in their car, he added. Eyewitness Ms Samina , resident of village Kamal Khan Chang, district Badin told that at the time of setting on fire the van, police personnels were also present there. She said that she along with her mother Ms Haleema was traveling in the van as she was sit at the front side and her mother was sit in back seat that as the armed persons stopped the van and dragged out the driver from van, she was also came out from the van and in weeping condition said that armed persons and police personnels did not allow her mother to come out the van during burning the van while she had requested the armed persons in this regard. She said that she saw the scene of burning the passengers including her mother. She identified the skeleton of her mother placed at the seat after burning while about 4 bodies had also been converted into small pieces of woods and powder. Panic was prevailed in the area after this incident and thousands of people from Digri and Mirwah Gorchani town were reached at the spot . DPO Mirpurkhas Zulfikar Maher, who had also been reached at the spot after receiving the information of this terrorism incident, told the media men that there was dispute between two groups of transporters of van and coasters on the running of van service at Naokot Mirpurkhas route and we had tried to settle their dispute . He further said that this tragedy incident occurred as the van service lauched at this route. He accused that coaster transport group was involved in this incident. He asserted that involved culprits would be arrested after registration of the FIR of this incident. Report said that injured passengers were missing from the spot and they were not reached also at rural health center Mirwah Gorchani town and civil hospital Mirpurkhas. Meanwhile, Mir Zafarullah Talpure, president Sindh chamber of agriculture district Mirpurkhas chapter , talking to newsmen accused that transport mafia was involved in this tragedy incident while district administration should immediately take notice and ensure arresting of the transporters involved in this incident . He urged the authorities to take legal action against the Bhatt mafia of transporters and impose ban on such terrorism like transporters group and their transports. Local leader of Jeay Sindh Quami Mahaz JSQM Asghar Mirrani advocate termed this incident as open terrorism incident and strongly condemned of this incident and demanded the immediate apprehending of the involved culprits. No case of this incident was lodged till filing of the news.