BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab government has approved a project to divert 1,600 cusecs of irrigation water from Mailsi-Siphon link to Bahawalpur district.

This was stated disclosed to Dawn by MPA and Punjab Parliamentary Secretary for Irrigation Khalid Mahmood Jajja.

MPA Jajja said the plan, which had been approved by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, was estimated to cost Rs4.5 billion.

The plan that was expected to be completed by 2018, he further said, will bring agricultural revolution in the district. He claimed out of 1,600 cusecs, 800 cusecs would be reserved for canals of his tehsil, Yazman.

According to the decision of the Punjab government, the Cholistan Development Authority, Bahawalpur was allotting land to deserving Cholistanis. He said the remaining 800 cusecs would be released in Ahmedpur East canal to benefit farmers of other areas.

The MPA also said work on this project would begin after the chief minister took part in the ground-breaking ceremony soon.

RAINS: Recent heavy rains wreaked havoc in over 20 villages of Cholistan reaching revenue boundaries of Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan districts.

Dawn learnt that human and livestock population of villages in Head Farid, Gulshan Farid, Bungalow Qasimwala, Basti Azim Din, Basti Allah Wasaya and a number of other rural areas had been affected due to torrential rains during the last week.

Houses and standing crops were also damaged. Affected people awaited government help and financial assistance but so far no one from the authorities has visited to help or conducted a survey of losses.

Prominent Cholistani folk singer Mohan Bhagat recently visited these villages and regretted the apathy of public representatives towards the affected people, who criticised minority MPA Kanji Ram for neglecting them.

Director of the livestock wing of Cholistan Development Authority, Asghar Ramay, confirmed to Dawn damages in the villages. He said katcha residences had been damaged, while standing crops, particularly cotton in vast areas, had suffered heavy losses.

He mentioned villages 190 to 194 whose crops had been adversely affected. He further said the livestock population there was in good health as due to rains fields had become fodder for them.

However, Ramay expressed concern over stagnant rainwater in most villages where health issues may rise. He feared outbreak of epidemics and said ponds could turn into mosquito-breeding places. He also said his department had moved the provincial health secretary, who had been suggested the health department be asked to launch a vaccination campaign in the affected areas.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2015

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