LARKANA: The residents of Chandka Bridge locality held a large protest demonstration on the main road here on Sunday against illegal sand lifting from the dry base of Rice Canal since winter season without any check by the relevant Irrigation Department Engineers or the district administration.
The protesters shouted slogans in favour of their just demands and against the lethargic attitude of the government departments for their failure to take stern legal action against the offenders of law which have ruined their lives.
Participants, including Shahmir Sahto, Fida Hussain Solangi, Khalid Memon and Jinsar Jagirani, complained before media persons that contractors and tractor trolley owners had made their lives miserable but Irrigation department engineers were in constant deep sleep as if they had been posted to grab money only.
They said unscrupulous people along with contractors and tractor trolley owners were regularly lifting sand from the base of the Rice Canal since winter as there seemed nobody to check them for this illegal act and to get it stopped. They said heavy machinery was being used for lifting the sand due to which big ditches were made in the canal and their children drown while playing there.
They said tractor drivers were driving rapidly due to which loaded sand keeps on falling down which after drying is flying in the air causing serious diseases such as ENT, chest, eye and asthma apart from highly polluting the entire atmosphere. They said neither Larkana traffic police has taken any notice nor the district administration as if they also get share out of the extortion. They said tractors were misused for commercial purposes which must also be stopped. They said both embankments of the rice Canal had also been weakened, the cost of which should be borne by those sand lifters.