DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Scores of people wearing dark blue shawls and carrying flowerpots arrived from Tank, Parova, Paharpur and other adjoining areas to show concerns over increasing pollution of the Indus.

The participants of the rally mostly drawn from the Sirail(i belt gathered on Circular Road and presented a traditional dance (Jhumar) to the drumbeat. Later, they marched towards the river and chanted slogans against water pollution.

Saeed Akhtar Sial, known Siraiki poet, told journalists on the occasion that there were little initiatives by administration to prevent water pollution. `Pollution of the Indus River is a grave issue. It shows both apathy of people and laxity of administration,` he said.

Qaisar Anwar, a broadcaster, said that all other forms of violence, if combined, killed lesser number of people than unsafe and polluted water each year.

The participants of the rally demanded of the government to tal(e concrete steps to prevent pollution of the Indus River.