The kith and kin of two siblings who were feared drowned in the Bathinda branch of the Sirhind canal three days ago staged a protest on the canal bank on Friday, demanding that the water flow be reduced to facilitate the search for the children.The family members raised slogans against the administration and later blocked a road, expressing anger over the failure to trace the children, who were feared drowned on Tuesday evening.Six-year-old Anjana and her 11-year-old brother Rishu, both residents of Jogi Nagar Tibba, were reportedly swept away while immersing a Lord Ganesha idol.The two had gone to the canal to watch the immersion when Anjana allegedly slipped and fell into the canal. Rishu jumped into the canal in an attempt to save his sister, but both were reportedly swept away by the strong current.The teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Naujawan Welfare Society continued the search operation on Friday. The search was carried out along stretches downstream from the spot up to Ghudda village, but the children could not be traced.The family had earlier met some local politicians and sought a reduction in the canal’s water level.Some local residents said a large number of people were expected to gather along the canal for the immersion, but adequate arrangements were allegedly not in place that day.The children’s father is a migrant worker.