The Cholistan needs a permanent solution to drought!

    Globally, it has been warned for many years that Pakistan is one of those countries that will be worst affected by climate change in the future. Where rising temperatures will lead to droughts as well as increased flooding. The effects will be felt in the form of a decrease in agricultural produce as well as an increase in floods. But our political elites and ruling classes are born to rule. They do not realize how poor Pakistanis are suffering from drought or heavy rains. Neither the political elites nor the elites who know the flow of flour and pulses have ever gone through the bitter conditions that poor Pakistan has been suffering for decades as a punishment. These classes spend crores of rupees every year on running car jeeps for entertainment in the Cholistan. Friends from abroad are also invited to participate in the car rally celebrations in the desert of Cholistan. Special arrangements are also made every year by the government for the fulfillment of this costly hobby of theirs. In addition to the comfortable food of the people to ensure their safety and our bureaucracy for a few days in the desert of Cholistan, demonstrates the enthusiasm and management skills if the one-fourth part of such public enthusiasm and administratio is shown in normal days, many of our civic problems can be solved permanently if the public money is spent on the welfare of the people and the provision of facilities to the people in their districts.

    When the heat suddenly started to show in March this year, the Meteorological Department forecasted that in the coming days the temperature will break all the records of the past. The districts of Central and Upper Sindh and South Punjab in particular will be in the grip of extreme heat. Lack of rainfall and drought warning was also issued. It was the duty of these government officials responsible for the Cholistan to inform the provincial government to protect the population of Cholistan from the effects of drought and to use their powers to provide water to every human and animal in the Cholistan. Ensure price control, but unfortunately, our bureaucracy considers it its duty to serve only the political elite and the elite. Our political elite, since its inception, has been considering it a sin to think beyond the protection of its own interests. Otherwise, who did not know that every year in the hot summer season, the people of Cholistan suffer the shortage of water. Their only assets in the sandy sea are sheep, goats and other mammals, which are raised on dry fodder and water and are kept alive. And even if it is easy, who will do it?

    On May 1, 2022, in view of the reports that there would be no rains in the whole country after the closure of the canals due to the decrease in the flow of water in the river Chenab, the canal system experts said that the situation in the Cholistan could become worst. Meanwhile, voices for water demand from the Cholistan were also raised. Toba (ponds) of Cholistan dried up. The lives of two million people and their animals were in danger. No one hpaid any attention. People were forced to migrate where there was little water in a pond and those ponds also dried up. If the MD Cholistan Authority had immediately declared a state of emergency and ordered fire brigade vehicles from all the districts of South Punjab to fill the Cholistan tobas, the people living in the Cholistan would have not suffered so much. People  and thousands of their animals would not have died of thirst. At the same time, philanthropists in the major cities of South Punjab were urged to help in providing water and food for the people and their animals in the Cholistan.

    On May 8, 2022, pictures of hundreds of thirsty dead sheep and goats went viral on social media in the Cholistan and the people of Cholistan appealed to the government for help through social media. Captain (retd) Saqib Zafar Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab, demanded immediate reports from Secretary Anhar, Secretary Agriculture, and Secretary Livestock in this regard and also directed all the secretaries to take emergency measures. MD Cholistan Development Authority has been directed to
ensure water supply for the Cholistan population and their animals. Attempts were also made by these watermen to fill the existing water tanks installed in some areas of Cholistan. So the question arises as to why these water tanks were empty and why the person responsible for filling them was not held accountable. According to reports, four units for water supply to some areas having water pipelines process of continuous water supply is in progress. But this process also started after the notice was taken by the Chief Secretary of South Punjab. If these pipelines had started supplying water as soon as summer started, the situation in the Cholistan would not have been so bad that thousands of families were forced to migrate. Thousands of animals died on the way due to thirst. Here, it is important to mention the closure of canals. Politicians who shine their politics on it, their children are living abroad, they have accumulated so much wealth in their foreign bank accounts that their  generations can sit and eat comfortably. They have no right to play with the future of millions of people of Pakistan in the name of their nationalism. By opposing the Kalabagh Dam, they have already given India a chance to build hundreds of dams on the rivers entering Pakistan from Kashmir. According to reports, construction of a large dam on the Chenab River is about to begin. The danger is that if India succeeds in building this dam, then the Chenab river will also remain for car and jeep rallies, and our elites will not even need to go to the Cholistan.

Urdu Copy

Written by Khalid Baig,

Published in Daily Nawa-i-Waqt,

Date: 23 May 2022.