Irrigation deptt launches anti-encroachment drive at Rohri's Umar Kass Wah

SUKKUR: Sindh irrigation department officials carrying out an anti-encroachment operation at Umar Kass Wah to remove illegal structures from the banks of irrigation branch in Rohri, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The irrigation officials have launched the anti-encroachment operation with heavy machinery and deployment of heavy contingents of police.

Police demolishing houses and shops constructed along the Umar Kass canal in Rohri.

Earlier, police had detained around 100 people resisting an anti-encroachment operation on the embankments of canals of Sukkur barrage.

SSP Sukkur Irfan Samoo had said that the anti-encroachment drive has been initiated on the court orders.

As the civic agencies launched the operation to remove encroachments on all seven off-taking canals of the barrage last week, angry mobs comprised of hundreds of people came to roads to resist the drive.

Later, two bodies of youth were retrieved from a canal in Sukkur and the families alleged that they jumped into the canal, during the anti-encroachment operation in the area of Ali Wahan.

It is pertinent to mention here that a large number of people have built houses and shops on the embankments of the canals of Sukkur Barrage. These illegal localities have grown into big colonies with all civic facilities.

Criminal negligence on part of the authorities allowed people to encroach on the land on the embankments of all seven off-taking canals of Sukkur Barrage.

Sukkur Barrage has seven off-taking canals, out of which three – Dadu Canal, Rice Canal and North Western Canal (Kirthar) – are situated on right bank, and four – Khairpur Feeder West, Rohri Canal, Khairpur Feeder East and Nara Canal – are at the left bank.