BAHAWALPUR, April 18: The entire network of canals in Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan districts has dried up due to supply of its water share to Sindh.

The irrigation department officials had, during the last week, announced that water would be released in the Bahawal canal by April 10. However, the key canals in the area are still without water.

About 300 to 400 cusecs of water has been released in the desert branch canal, though, it has a capacity of storing over 1,100 cusecs.

Dawn learnt on Thursday that all the upper Punjab canals were, at present, full to brim while the share of former Bahawalpur division had been supplied to Sindh.

Landlords and farmers have expressed concern over denying them the area’s water share and hoped for a favourable reply from president Musharraf during his rally here on April 24.

GUNNY BAGS: The local food department has so far acquired over 3 million gunny bags for its distribution in the 62 procurement centres in Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan districts.

Talking to Dawn on Thursday, food Deputy Director Rana Waris Khan said the remaining 1.6 million bags would soon be acquired as the jute mills and factories were dispatching these.

He said there were so far no wheat arrivals at the food department’s procurement centres as the thrashing process was going on.

However, he hoped there would be a lot of activities within a fortnight and a six-member committee would monitor the process at each centre.

Replying to a question, Mr Khan said the acquisition of gunny bags from the department would eliminate the role of middle men and private commission agents who used to exploit the growers.

DISBANDED: The government has disbanded the local ehtesab court and transferred its judge Sayyed Mumtaz Husain Shah to Rawalpindi.

Dawn learnt on Thursday that the decision had been taken in view of the less number of cases.