Farmers staged protest demonstrations, manhandled irrigation department staff and blocked main roads in four towns of the district on Tuesday in protest against water shortage. Hundreds of farmers, whose land is irrigated through Dilary distributary, staged a protest outside the office of irrigation department in Kot Ghulam Mohammad. The protesters were carrying banners and placards and were demanding water in the canal.

Senior Minister for Irrigation, Raja Riaz Ahmed has said that corruption or negligence will not be tolerated in the irrigation department, provision of irrigation water at tail ends would be ensured. He also assured that prompt patrolling round the clock would be fully conducted, for checking water theft and irrigation department will be made farmers friendly.

The Mapithel Dam Affected Villages Organisation (MDAVO) has expressed concern on the alleged lack of coordination within the State Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD) in handling the Thoubal project (Mapithel Dam) in Manipur. MDAVO secretary R Leishipem alleged that the agreed minutes of the Expert Review Committee were not followed. "The MDAVO will continue to fight democratically against the IFCD officials till the legitimate demands are addressed and implemented,'' the organization stated.

The Telugu Desam state president, Mr Nara Chandrababu Naidu, on Tuesday found fault with the Godavari water policy of the Congress government. Speaking to newsmen, Mr Naidu said that the government has no vision in using Godavari river water for the purpose of irrigation. He said that the projects taken up by Dummugudem Link Canal Project and Indirasagar Irrigation Projects were not pragmatic and the government is wasting crores of rupees by going to impractical projects.

State government has given adm-inistrative sanction for taking up modernisation works of the Tungabhadra high level main canal (HLC). A notification issuing work orders has reached the HLC superintending engineer (SE) office recently. The superintendent engineer, Mr Somireddy, has written to the contracting agencies to complete agreement signing by May 15. The HLC modernisation works will commence in January 2009 immediately after water supply from the Tungabhadra dam is stopped.

The construction of Khuga dam is expected to conclude during the next month and the dam is likely to be inaugurated by the first week of June by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. In this connection the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh along with other ministers of the State visited the dam site to conduct an inspection recently.

The Sindh Water Committee has expressed concern over acute shortage of water in Sindh and said the shortage is artificial and being used to victimise the province and destroy its economy and agriculture sector. The committee, which met here on Wednesday, demanded that the government immediately close the Chashma-Jehlum link canal, ensure supply of water to Sindh and appoint an international tribunal to solve water controversy between Sindh and Punjab.

The Institute of Food Sciences and Technologies, Agriculture University, Tandojam has organised a training course for farmers on chilli preservation method. Addressing the event, the Provincial Minister, Agriculture, Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, said that water shortage in Sindh has taken a serious form affecting the agriculture sector.

Construction of Maharashtra's tallest dam is expected to commence soon. The project architect, Central Designs Organisation

As scarcity of water has badly hit the country inflicting heavy damage to its industry and agriculture, the Punjab irrigation department has decided to launch massive crackdown against powerful