BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab government has allocated over Rs12 billion under a three-year phased programme for the rehabilitation of five underground waterline schemes in Cholistan.

The five waterlines had been laid at a cost of millions of rupees during 2002-3 for provision of potable water to the residents of the desert areas and their livestock. However, due to a lack of proper maintenance most of these underground pipelines had been rendered useless for the locals.

Cholistan Development Authority (CDA), Bahawalpur, Managing Director (MD) Tariq Bokhari tells Dawn that out of the total allocated sum, Rs6 billion have been included in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for 2022-23 and the amount is expected to be released soon.

He says the waterlines sanctioned for rehabilitation include Khutri Dahar to Tufana, Kudwala to Banna post, 111/DNB village to Nawan kote, 108/DB village to Bijnot in Bahawalpur district, Sourian in Rahimyarkhan district and Mirgarh to Choori in Fortabbas tehsil of Bahawalnagar district.

He says as soon as the funds are released, the rehabilitation work will be launched to avoid the drought-like conditions the vast desert areas face in the harsh summer season.

He expresses the hope that with the rehabilitation of these waterlines, people and their livestock living in about half of the total desert area, comprising 66,000 acres of mostly barren land, could be benefited. The remaining pockets comprising thousands of acres are already being covered by different modes of the irrigation system, he adds.

Meanwhile, CDA Executive Engineer Asiq Langah says the government has also sanctioned a sum of Rs136.507 million for the procurement of four large tankers to transport potable water to the desert areas to overcome shortage during the summer season.

The CDA already has four water tankers, that are being used for the purpose, he adds.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2022