BAHAWALPUR: The irrigation department has launched the campaign to desilt over 193 miles long 31 canals in three districts of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan of Bahawalpur zone.

According to irrigation department’s officials, during over one-month long campaign, launched on the directives of Punjab caretaker chief minister, some 4.2 million cubic feet silt will be extracted from the canals.

An official handout says the canal desilting operation has started from Dec 15 and will continue till Jan 29, 2024.

In the first phase, desilting of the canals linked to the Mangla Dam command has been launched and it will be finished till Jan 12, 2024, while in the second phase, from Jan 12 to Jan 29, the canals falling under the command of Tarbela Dam would be desilted in the Bahawalpur zone.

As the campaign may cause irrigation issues for the farmers in the zone, they have been advised to arrange alternative water sources for the Rabi crop, the officials say.

LIFE THREAT: A girl, whose parents had arranged her watta satta (exchange marriage) has sought protection of her life from the government, alleging her family members want to kill her.

In her appeal to Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and police high-ups, Alisha Bibi said that her parents arranged her watta satta (exchange marriage) with one Ijaz about a year ago. In exchange, her brother Kazim was married to Ijaz’s sister.

She said Kazim had a dispute with his in-laws and divorced his wife. Alisha says that now her brother Kazim and uncle Allah Wasaya were forcing her to seek divorce from her husband Ijaz and threatening her with dire consequences in case of refusal.

She stated that she had already recorded her statement in a court of law that she was happily living with her her husband and did not want a divorce.

She said she feared that her family might kill her and appealed to the CM and the police high-ups to protect her life.

SHOT BY DACOITS: A man and his mother suffered bullet wounds when two unidentified dacoits opened fire during a dacoity bid in their house at Goth Mehru near Khanqah Sharif, about 20kms from here on Monday night.

As per Samma Satta police, Junaid Shah (32) and his mother Umme kalsoom (65) were allegedly shot at and injured by two unidentified dacoits during a dacoity bid in their house.

They were shifted to the emergency ward of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) for treatment. The incident has been reported to the police.

ACCIDENTS: A woman died and four others, including two women and a child, suffered injuries in two separate road accidents in Lodhran and Bahawalpur districts.

According to Lodhran Rescuers 1122 officials, Fozia Iqbal (21) fell from a motorcycle that was hit by a motorcycle-rickshaw and was crushed by a trailer. She died instantly.

Her body was shifted to the Lodhran DHQ Hospital while police concerned arrested the drivers of the trailer and the motorcycle-rickshaw.

WOMEN POLICE GUIDES: Vehari District Police Officer Essa Khan has appointed women guides (constables) in all the (over 24) police stations across the district to facilitate complainants.

A press release says that the women constables have been deployed as guides in all police stations of the district to improve the public service delivery and extend help and guidance to the visitors, including complainants to help resolve their complaints.

It says that these guides will also take feedback from the visitors about the service delivery at the police stations.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2023