BAHAWALPUR, July 29: The Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) has announced establishing the University Postgraduate Agriculture College in Bahawalnagar.

For the time being, the college will be set up in the existing building of IUB's Bahawalnagar sub-campus. Classes in two subjects -- agronomy and agriculture extension -- are expected to be started during the new semester academic year beginning from September, 2011.

According to a press release, the two departments will enroll 30 students, 15 in each subject.

The college is being established on the longstanding demand of area students, who have been aspiring to seek agriculture education on their door-step.

IUB Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Mukhtar expressed the hope that the college would go a long way towards providing educational facilities in agriculture to the youth of remote areas like Fort Abbas and Harunabad.

CRACKDOWN: The Irrigation department on Friday launched a crackdown on canal water thieves along the banks of Abbasia Link Canal in the Ahmedpur East canal division.

According to an official announcement, the operation was launched after complaints of water pilferage through illegal pipelines, various cuts and lift pumps by influential landlords, depriving tail-end farmers of their due share of canal water.

The Ahmedpur canal division XEN asked the Bahawalpur DPO to extend police support to the irrigation staff and establish a police check-post at the Kallarwala rest house to control the water pilferage and arrest criminals.

The XEN also transferred two sub-engineers from Qasimwala and Channigoth to Abbasia Link Canal to intensify the campaign.