BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab government has approved a project to divert 1,600 cusecs of irrigation water from Mailsi-Siphon link to Bahawalpur district. This was stated disclosed to Dawn by MPA and Punjab Parliamentary Secretary for Irrigation Khalid Mahmood Jajja.

MPA Jajja said the plan, which had been approved by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, was estimated to cost Rs4.5 billion.

The plan that was expected to be completed by 2018, he further said, will bring agricultural revolution in the district. He claimed out of 1,600 cusecs, 800 cusecs would be reserved for canals of his tehsil, Yazman.

According to the decision of the Punjab government, the Cholistan Development Authority, Bahawalpur was allotting land to deserving Cholistanis. He said the remaining 800 cusecs would be released in Ahmedpur East canal to benefit farmers of other areas.

The MPA also said work on this project would begin after the chief minister takes part in the ground-breaking ceremony soon.

Rains damages

Recent heavy rains wreaked havoc in over 20 villages of Cholistan reaching revenue boundaries of Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan districts.

Dawn learnt that human and livestock population of villages in Head Farid, Gulshan Farid, Bungalow Qasimwala, Basti Azim Din, Basti Allah Wasaya and a number of other rural areas had been affected due to torrential rains during the last week.

Houses and standing crops were also damaged. Affected people awaited government help and financial assistance but so far no one from the authorities has visited to help or conducted a survey of losses.— Correspondent

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2015

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