Shortage: ‘Cholistan severely water stressed’

Al Sadiq Desert Welfare Organisation stages protest in front of commissioner’s office to highlight the problem.

BAHAWALPUR:

The Al Sadiq Desert Welfare Organisation on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest demonstration in front of the commissioner’s office to highlight the problem of water scarcity in Cholistan.

The participants took out the rally from the commissioner’s office to the Irrigation Department chief engineer’s office in Bahawalpur.

Speaking on the occasion, Al Sadiq Desert Welfare Organisation president Riaz Baloch said the canals in Cholistan should be provided a minimum of 250 cusecs water for irrigation. He said the government had issued a notification in 2002 that the amount would be available on permanent basis. “It [the notification] also said that water theft would end and political interference in the allocation of water would stop,” he said. Riaz Baloch demanded that state land should also be freed from squatters. “The Irrigation Department and influential landlords should stop supporting water thieves…strict action should be taken against officials involved in water theft,” he said. Former Civil Society Network chairman Syed Israr Hussain Shah said water shortage in Cholistan could be mitigated if the recommendations put forward by them were adopted. “There can be adequate water for people and their animals… even during droughts,” he said. Later, a delegation met the Irrigation Department chief engineer and told him about their problems. He assured them that their demands would be discussed with the provincial government.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2013.