Cholistan canals to get 250 cusecs water quota.

BAHAWALPUR -- The Punjab irrigation department has agreed conditionally to supply 250 cusecs of water, as per the approved quota, to the four feeding distributary canals to irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres in Cholistan areas.

The 250-cusec water quota was approved for these four canals during the Musharraf regime in 2004 but it was seldom implemented by the later governments, adding to the sufferings of the farmers of these semi-desert areas.

This was stated by Bahawalpur Zone Irrigation Chief Engineer (CE) Khalid Bashir here on Monday talking to Dawn.

The chief engineer says the government, taking a serious notice of the unavailability of canal water in Cholistan, that is even used for drinking and cooking for the inhabitants of these areas, took the decision to implement the water quota.

In this respect , he says, a video-link meeting chaired by Punjab irrigation secretary was recently held with the chief engineers...