NAUNDERO: The growers and peasants of various villages including Agani, Paru Bhutto, Tagar and other villages blocked Larkana-Sukkur Highway at Agani Turn near here on Monday demanding dewatering of flood water from their lands so that they could be able to cultivate upcoming crops to earn livelihood for their families.

They also held a large protest demonstration due to which all kinds of traffic to and from Larkana and Sukkur came to standstill and the commuters suffered a lot for no fault of theirs at all. They also burnt bushes, tyres and shouted slogans in favour of their just demands.

While talking to newsmen Mour Agani, Muhammad Bux Shaikh, Jamil Agani, Mujahid Agani, Ali Ahmed, Jeeand Bhayo and others said that the employement of their Agani Union Council (UC) people is purely agriculture but flood water is still stagnant in their lands which has ruined their lives as 2300 acres of guava orchids and lands have been under water and stand damaged hence no cultivation can be made in them. They said we have constantly been asking the Larkana district and taluka Ratodero administration to get the water drained out quickly so that we can prepare our lands and sow wheat crops but nothing has yet been done which is rudeness and unbecoming of a decent and clean administration.

They said during the devastating rain paddy crop was entirely damaged and we have suffered millions of rupees losses but if standing water is not tackled immediately there will be no further sowing of any crop at all. They said farmers and tillers have already suffered huge losses on account of massive rain and their homes have collapsed hence they need to be helped forthwith.

They demanded quick disposal of rainwater so that poverty-stricken growers and farmers could be able to sow fresh crops and earn livelihood for their family members or else, they warned, they will enlarge the scope of their protests and road blockade.