MITHI: The people of Tharparkar have been warned against using the lands meant for producing fodder.

Tharparkar Deputy Commissioner Dr Shahzad Tahir Thaheem, speaking to the media here on Saturday, said punitive action would be taken against anyone found cultivating traditional crops using the lands atop the sandy dunes, state land and pastures — locally called gauncher lands — during monsoon season.

He said the district administration would effectively discourage the trend of bringing these lands under cultivation for producing traditional crops.

He said the specified lands were meant for producing fodder for livestock — the mainstay of Tharparkar economy — to ensure production of sufficient food for animals in this rain-dependent arid zone.

He said that in case of any violation of the ban, not only the crops over the lands would be bulldozed, but action would also be taken against growers and the revenue officials concerned. The DC appealed to all stakeholders to support the efforts in this direction.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2019