BAHAWALPUR: The Lal Sohanra, one of biggest national parks in South Asia, presents a picture of neglect and it needs funds worth millions of rupees for its upkeep, promotion of wildlife and necessary facilities for tourists.

The condition of the sorry state of affairs at the park was noticed by the top government officials, including South Punjab Additional Chief Secretary retired Capt Saqib Zafar, during a visit to the park.

Mr Zafar was dismayed to findthe enclosures of the wildlife, including blackbucks, nilgai and Chinkara deer, unprotected while the security breach could not stop the rising incidents of their theft during the recent years. On the other hand, the Patisar Lake, comprising 47,000 acres, does not have enough water.

Taking notice of the unsafe, unprotected and dwindling flora and fauna, which also faced a threat of extinction in Lal Sohanra, Mr Zafar directed the forest department to take measures for promotion of tourism and protection and breeding of the wildlife in the park.

Dawn learnt that during a visit to the park on Monday, Mr Zafar was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Bahawalpur Zaheer Anwar Jappa and Divisional Forest Officer Fazal Shah. He expressed disappointment atthe poor state of affairs in the national park, stretching over an area of 160,000 acres of land.

According to an official handout, the additional chief secretary ordered installation of a barbed wire around an area of 65km in the park to cordon off the enclosures of the wildlife.

Dawn learnt that the Patisar Lake, acknowledged as one of the best of wetland areas in the region, is without recreational and amusement facilities for the visitors.

The departments concerned, several years ago, had claimed to have undertaken its development work to raise the lake level up to international standards but with the passage of years, the water reservoir looked deserted and without necessary infrastructure and recreation facilities for the picnickers.

The additional chief secre-tary issued directions to fill the Patisar Lake with the water from the desert branch canal.

However, the sources say, the irrigation department officials have always been reluctant to supply irrigation water to the lake to give it a new life and provide recreational facilities to the visitors.

Whenever the irrigation officials` attention is drawn to the supply of canal water to the lake, they say that the lake is silted and needs desiltation.

According to them, without desiltation, the supplying of canal water can neither be possible nor would it prove beneficial for the lake itself.

The sources claim that if the lake is filled with water from the desert branch canal, it can also be a source of income to the tune of millions annually for the forest department, which had auctioned the contract dur-ing previous years to catch fish of thousands of maunds from the lake in the winter season.

The lake used to be the main source of attraction for the migratory birds from Siberia during the winters besides adding to the scenic beauty of the area.

It may be mentioned that the Punjab Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries Department is responsible for the park`s development and upkeep.

There have been allegations of the theft of the blackbucks from their enclosures despite the official claims of deployment of watchmen and guards at the enclosures.

There have been complaints time and again of the alleged theft of trees from the national park and the forest department higher-ups claimed to have penalised their officials allegedly involved in it.