Sudanese police on Wednesday fired tear gas canisters to disperse hundreds of people protesting over water cuts in their neighbourhood in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman, witnesses told AFP.

Hundreds of Shiglat Fataihab residents staged a protest at around 2:00 pm (1100 GMT) because of water shortages over the past month, they said.

"We gathered in the neighbourhood's main street and then the police came in seven trucks and opened fire with tear gas," said one protester on condition of anonymity.

The area has suffered water shortages for the past month and received none at all during the past three days, the protester said.

A local schoolteacher said they heard people in the early afternoon chanting: "Thirsty, thirsty," and went out to see the demonstration.

"We found around 400 people -- women, children and youths -- blocking the main street," one witness said, also on condition of anonymity.

Seven police trucks arrived and an officer told the demonstrators to leave, ordering his men to disperse them with tear gas when they refused, the witness said.

The witnesses did not say whether there had been any casualties.

Protests in Sudan over local grievances are regularly dispersed by police.