BAHAWALPUR: The blazing sun is taking its toll on the dwellers of Cholistan who, along with their cattle, are moving out to habitable areas nearby.

The people of Cholistan normally reside in their huts called “Gopas” with their cattle under open sky on sand dunes or ground around the open water ponds (Tobas) or underground reservoirs (Kunds). Their livestock grazes in the open fields.

With high temperatures and absence of rainfall during the current summer in the desert, the bushes and grass have burnt or dried up due to which there is shortage of fodder and water. About this time of the year the water in the open ponds also decreases owing to seepage or evaporation and such a situation endangers the lives of humans and the livestock.

Reports are emerging that a large part of the population has migrated for want of shelter and food to the nearest available places around canals and greenery.

Officials of the Cholistan Development Authority (CDA) confirm that people have taken their cattle away from the desert to avoid hardships of summer.

Raza Abbasi, the focal person of the livestock department, Bahawalpur told Dawn that he together with other officials visited Cholistan, where 60pc of the population had moved to habitable places. The other people also are about to move and they may stay for about two to three months in the green areas and on the banks of canals.

IUB CLASH: As many as 23 students and a ‘few outsiders’ were allegedly involved in the Friday’s clash between two student groups of the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) at Baghdadul Jadid campus.

This was claimed in a press release issued by IUB here on Saturday.

Cases against 23 students had been sent to the university’s disciplinary committee for action. The committee is expected to dispose of the cases against the students by Monday.

Claiming that only one student was injured in the scuffle between students, the press release stated that the university’s security staff had immediately controlled the situation.

It said a few outsiders were also spotted at the time of the incident and legal action against these elements would also be taken. The release was silent about the motive behind the scuffle between the students.

ARRESTED: The anti-corruption police on Saturday arrested a retired SDO, Muhammad Iqbal, and resident engineer Mahmoodul Hassan Ansari after the anti-corruption court judge Muhammad Sajid Ali Awan dismissed their pleas for confirmation of interim bail before arrest in the Rs20 million water supply scam of Tibba Badar Shair and Satellite Town, Bahawalpur.

Police had registered the case against the suspects in 2012. The judge remanded the suspects in police custody for four days for the recovery of Rs20m.

SEMINAR: A seminar in connection with the world Thalassemia Day was held at Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) on Saturday.

Speakers including Quai-i-Azam Medical College (QAMC) Principal Prof. Dr.Khwaja Haroon Khurshead Pasha, BVH Medical Superintendent Dr. Shahid Faraz, BVH Thalassemia Centre Project Director Dr.Shabnam Bashir and others called for launching a comprehensive campaign to raise public awareness about the disease.

LOCAL HOLIDAY: District Coordination Officer (DCO) Dr. Ehtesham Anwar Mahaar has declared local holiday on May 24 (Tuesday) in connection with the death anniversary of Nawab of Bahawalpur Muhammad Sadiq Khan Abbasi.

All offices within the control of the district administration, public and private schools and colleges will be closed on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2016