Water collected in reservoirs (ponds), developed by Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) at Cholistan Thar is saving human beings, livestock and wildlife from drought effects, as now water is available there throughout the year. Further, the ponds constructed to store rain harvested water for agriculture can also be utilized as fish ponds to produce fish meat.
Talking to APP, Director General Desertification Control (PCRWR) Muhammad Akram said the water of fish reservoirs becomes enrich for plant nutrients due to fish feed, dung and other biological activities.
He said the reservoir water can be utilized for irrigation of crops and for obtaining optimum yield with minimum inputs. Giving details, he said PCRWR conducted research on rainwater harvesting system and identified the potential for water resources development from rainfall more than 307 million cubic meter runoff annually in normal rainy years. He said the Council has harvested and collected rainwater in the 92 reservoirs each with storage capacity of 15000 cubic meter after proper scientific surveys. The water requirement for drinking of human and livestock population 0.1 million and 2.0 million in Cholistan respectively is 7.0 million cubic meter. While the remaining rain runoff of 300 million cubic meter annually can be made available for farm production in Cholistan desert for the social upgradation of community. Development project in Cholistan desert has helped to make regular water supply scheme to the people and livestock for drinking and other domestic purposes.
The rainwater harvesting project carried out by PCRWR have stopped loss of Rs 6 billion annually, as water is available in the desert throughout the year and migration of human and livestock is also reduced. The loss caused due to reduction in livestock production in the form of mortality, diseases, loss of meat and milk as well as damage to crops in canal irrigated areas have been saved for addition in the national economy. Further, micro-climate around the reservoirs has also been improved friendly to life. Now birds and other wildlife can be seen frequently around the reservoirs as well as more and new vegetation species can also be identified.
Talking to APP, Chairman PCRWR Dr Muhammad Aslam Tahir said the drought of 1999 brought the plight of this desert, people and their surviving herds to the attention of the authorities. To solve the problem of drinking water for human and livestock in the Cholistan, PCRWR prepared a research and development project based on its successful research carried out at Dingarh Field Research station in the Cholistan desert, Chairman said. He said the studies in Cholistan had shown that the primary pre-requisite that land needs to have a good water collection area and its water infiltration rate should be low. He said the research results carried out in the Cholistan desert for the last 20 years have been multiplied and distributed throughout the desert, spread over 26000sq km.PR to launch Lalamusa-Pind.
Dadan Khan new train service: Pakistan Railways will launch a new train service between Lalamusa and Pind Daddan Khan to facilitate people of the area. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira and Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmed Bilour will inaugurate the service on June 15.
Talking to APP, Divisional Superintendent of Railways Syed Munwar Shah said the service is being launched on the demand of people of Sargodha, Malikwal and Pind Dadan Khan, the cities that will be covered under the new service.
According to the schedule, the train will leave Lalamusa station at 5 p.m. and reach Pind Dadan Khan at 7:30\pm. He said Minister for Capital Administration and Development Nazar Muhammad Gondal and Chairman Public Account Committee Afzal Chan would receive the passengers at Pind Dadan Khan station.