TOBA TEK SINGH: Due to repeated unannounced closure of Khewra distributary of the Jhang Branch Canal, there is severe shortage of irrigation water in more than 30 villages located in the irrigation zone of the distributary.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the farmers’ representatives, including Mian Asif Mahboob, claimed that crops of cotton, fodder and citrus had badly been affected due to the suspension of water supply. They said as subsoil water in Toba was brackish and irrigation water of this canal was used by the people also for drinking as well as their cattle.

“The residents of these 30 villages are also facing acute potable water shortage and they are forced to fetch water from nearby Jhang district’s villages where underground water is potable,” Mahboob said and added that the people have to bring water on motorcycles, tractor trolleys.

The representatives of the farmers from Chak 383-JB, 388-JB, 390-JB, 391-JB, 392-JB, 393-JB, 394-JB, 395-JB, 396-JB, 397-JB and Chak 398-JB and 399-JB were also present. They demanded that enough supply of water should be ensured immediately by opening the Khewra distributary.

ROBBERY: More than a dozen robbers robbed the passengers, driver and conductor of a bus early in the morning on Waryamwala-Toba road in the Chuttiana area and deprived them of cash, mobile phones and other valuables worth more than Rs2m.

Reports said the bus was going to Lahore via Toba and Rajana through the M-3 when the incident happened.

The same robbers allegedly robbed a number of motorcyclists at the same place by erecting a barrier on the road.

SYMPOSIUM: A one-day symposium, titled Nanotechnology for Sustainable Environmental Applications, was organised at the GCUF by its department of environmental sciences and the Green Youth Movement Club.

The speakers, including scientists from different institutes, spoke on ways to improve the life of the common man through the use of nanotechnology and transformation of the environment sector. They said that by reducing the wastage of time, land and energy, the future of life on this earth could be secured.

The scientists said the use of nanotechnology had the potential to solve all problems related to environment and health in the current century.

Dr Farhat Jabeen, Dr Tanveer Shehzad, Dr Sabir Hussain, Dr Muhammad Shahid, Dr Ayesha Ehsan and Dr Muhammad Zahid gave their presentations on this topic. A poster competition on research papers regarding the application of nanotechnology in environmental sciences was also held.

CRACKDOWN: In a crackdown to restrain the Kissan Board activists from going to Lahore to join the farmers’ protest, police continued raiding their houses.

Police arrested Kisan Board district general secretary Ghulam Sarwar Bhatti but failed to arrest several others whose houses were raided in Toba, Kamalia, Gojra and Pirmahal.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2024