Farmers Stage Hunger Strike Camp Against Water Shortage

Dera Allah Yar:In a significant protest against the acute shortage of irrigation and drinking water in Dera Allah Yar, farmers of Jhadeer Branch have set up a hunger strike camp led by Nasibullah Khosa. Local landowners Nasibullah Khosa, Zeenat-ul-Abidin Khosa, and Parvez Khosa gathered at Dera Allah Yar Zero Point to initiate the hunger strike camp. The protesting farmers vehemently criticized the authorities for their negligence, highlighting that canals from Pat Feeder Canal to Jaffarabad’s areas including Jhadeer Branch, Temple Branch, Nasir Branch, Qaidi Branch, Mahboob Branch, Balaan Branch, and Bari Branch are not receiving adequate river water supply.

This water scarcity has severely affected rice cultivation on hundreds of acres and is also causing damage to dairy farming. As a result of dried-up rivers and ponds, a severe water crisis has emerged in the city and rural areas of Dera Allah Yar, leaving both humans and animals desperate for water. The farmers emphasized that Provincial Minister for Irrigation Mir Mohammad Sadiq Omarani and Advisor to Chief Minister Sardar Ghulam Rasool Omarani are diverting water from the Pat Feeder Canal to Nasirabad, while Jaffarabad’s command area has turned into a wasteland. Despite being Balochistan’s green belt, Jaffarabad is suffering from financial difficulties due to consecutive dry seasons, leading to hardships for landowners and farmers.

The farmers also highlighted injustices faced by farmers and landowners, demanding that the hunger strike continue until river water supply is restored.