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SIALKOT, Aug 12: The Punjab irrigation department’s plan to save the eroding agricultural lands on a large scale from the continuous changing courses of the Chenab near Bajwat and Head Marala has not been included in the Flood Protection Plan for 2003-04.
The plan had been chalked out by the Federal Flood Commission, which did not spell out any reason for excluding the irrigation department’s drive.
In April this year, the provincial irrigation department had conducted a survey and prepared a temporary plan for saving massive erosion in agricultural lands in Bajwat, saying there was no permanent solution to this situation.
Talking to this correspondent, sources confirmed that the FFC had dropped the Punjab irrigation department’s temporary plan for unknown reasons, putting the eroding Bajwat areas at the mercy of the Chenab, Jammu and Tavi.
More than 4,500 acres of agricultural land in Bajwat areas and 2,400 acres at Nandpur, Bahadurpur and Muchharala (near Head Marala) have been eroded because of changing of courses by the Chenab.
Hundreds of farmers have protested against indifference of the relevant government functionaries, urging them to ask the FFC to include the irrigation department’s temporary plan in the FPP’s second phase.
ROBBERIES: Robbers plundered cash and valuables worth hundreds of thousands of rupees, and drove away with an industrialist’s car in several strikes here on Tuesday.
Two armed men drove away with Haji Muhammad Yousaf’s car (LXO-4346), which was being taken by his family to a market. The armed men held up driver Yousaf Shah and drove away with the car.
Cantonment police have registered a case with no arrest so far.
At Green Town (Uggoki), two armed men stormed into the house of a trader, Khurram Shahzad. They held up the inmates and took away cash, gold ornaments and electronics worth Rs200,000.
Uggoki police have registered a case.
In Daska tehsil, two masked motorcyclists snatched cash, gold jewellery and wrist watches worth Rs100,000 from landlord Muhammad Khalid and female members of his family riding on a tonga.
Bambanwala police have registered a case and are investigating.
Three robbers looted jewellery and cash worth around Rs100,000 from passengers at Kollokey village in Sambrial. While two armed men deprived three salesmen of a tobacco company of Rs50,000 in cash.
COMMITTEE: The district government has constituted a special committee to remove encroachments on the land around Nullah Bhed, it is learnt on Tuesday.
EDO (revenue) Salman Mufti is heading the committee, which has also DDO (revenue) Amir Ejaz Akbar, XEN (irrigation), tehsil municipal officer and the Engineer Cantonment Board.
