BAHAWALPUR, Sept 9: The Yazman tehsil council members at a meeting held here on Thursday protested against the closure of desert branch canal causing damages to cotton in the area.

Scores of members in their speeches said that they were being deprived of their due share of canal water. They cited the announcement of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi during the by election campaign in July that Yazman would continue getting extra canal water for cotton.

The irrigation department officials informed the house that the desert branch had been closed due to water shortage. The house adopted a resolution demanding of the Punjab irrigation department to restore the water supply.

CAR RALLY: A 300-km desert car rally will be organized in Cholistan during the last week of December. The rally will begin from the historic Derawar Fort in Cholistan and pass through different areas which will be decided after a thorough survey of the desert by a joint team of army, desert rangers and representatives of the Punjab tourism department and the district government.