BAHAWALPUR: The intermittent rain over the last three days has filled almost all the open ponds (tobas) in Cholistan, providing water for the residents of the desert area and their livestock.

The rain has not only ensured water supply for the human as well as animal populations in the area, but also fed the grazing fields comprising plants and bushes for the herds for several months.

Cholistan Development Authority (CDA) Managing Director (MD) Mahar Khalid Ahmed told Dawn that with the recent intermittent showers, the rainwater has also accumulated in the low-lying plains of Cholistan, converting them into temporary ponds that may dry up during the next week or so.

He says that the rains during the last week have proved a boon for the Cholistani people and their livestock, who had been facing drought-like conditions during the previous months of May and June, creating an acute shortage of drinking water.

He says that these showers have also a moderating effect on otherwise harsh weather in the area, hoping that it will the local population that had moved to relatively greener areas along with their livestock in search of water and fodder to return to their native places.

The CDA managing director appreciated the role of various government departments and agencies, including divisional and district administrations, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Rescue 1122 and some NGOs for taking immediate relief and rescue measures to provide drinking water in the desert area during the previous two months of scorching heat.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2022