BAHAWALPUR: The government has set a target of over 1.8 million acres for cotton cultivation in the three districts of Bahawalpur Division this season, said Bahawalpur Commissioner Nadir Chattha at a meeting here on Wednesday.

The commissioner directed the departments concerned to ensure timely supply of canal water to farmers and have zero tolerance against the fertiliser and pesticide hoarders.

Agriculture Director Hafiz Jamil Ghauri informed the meeting that his department has launched a campaign to motivate farmers to start early cotton sowing.

Irrigation Chief Engineer Zulfiqar Ali said that despite the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) warning regarding the shortage of water during Kharif season, irrigation department would make efforts to supply adequate canal water in the areas where the underground water was brackish or saline.

Meanwhile, Vehari Deputy Commissioner Syed Asef Hussain Shah says the cotton cultivation target of 158,000 acres has been fixed for the district.

A handout says that chairing a meeting on Wednesday, the DC ordered that patwaris and lumbardars should also be included in the campaign to motivate farmers to grow more cotton in the district.

SENTENCED: Dunyapur Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Rizwan Arif awarded nine-year rigorous imprisonment to a drug trafficker, along with Rs80,000 fine.

According toLodhran police’s prosecution branch, Dunyapur city police had on July 15, 2023, recovered over one kilogram charas from the possession of Mudassir Abbas.

After registration of a case (FIR No.614/23) against him, the police submitted the challan in the court.

According to the judgement, in case of default on payment of the fine, the convict will have to undergo an additional imprisonment for three months.

INJURED: Four policemen and two under-trial prisoners suffered serious injuries when a prison van overturned after a collision with an AC coach on Motorway near Uch Sharif Interchange, some 70km from here.

As per the National Highway and Motorway Police, the prison van that met accident wasgoing to Rajanpur from Lahore.

The injured persons were shifted to nearby hospitals and health centers, they added.

Meanwhile, as many as 97 persons, including 25 women and 19 children, were admitted to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) and the Government Nawab Sadiq Hospital for treatment of gastroenteritis on Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2024