BAHAWALPUR: The dry spell and high temperature have forced the human and animal population to move out of the vast areas of Cholistan desert in search of drinking water and grazing fields.

It is a yearly phenomenon that with the summer season`s start, a major portion of both human and livestock population prefer to migrate to the green areas. People leave behind their abodes called Bopa that are built with straws particularly near water ponds for want of drinking water and fodder. Some local inhabitants stay behind around the water ponds which might cater to their needs.

However, this time around, almost every pond has dried out and grazing fields are left with no grass due to sizzling weather conditions and prolonged dry spell. Some of the Cholistan residents have taken refuge in the cultivated areas where they would stay, waiting and praying for the rain before their return to their own areas.

There have been no heavy rains for the last three years during summer season and this year too, weather experts have not given any forecast for rain in the near future.

When contacted, Imam Bal(hsh, director revenue and colonies Bahawalpur of the Cholistan Development Authority (CDA), said the movement of people of the desert from one area to the other due to harsh weather conditions was a routine matter. There was nothingunusual in their migration as it`s their lifestyle and they had to do this for themselves and their animals, he added.

Livestock Officiating Director for Bahawalpur Dr Rana Nawaz said about 20pc animals were left in the desert while the rest had been taken out of Cholistan by their owners due to shortage of water and fodder. He said his department`s anti-ticks campaign had also been affected due to the shifting of animals.

Rai Muhammad Sharif, a lawyer who was present near the Mithra Banglaow area in Cholistan, said there was a drought-like condition in the desert and about 95pc population had gone out of Cholistan due to scarcity of drinking water and fodder. He said there was some relief for the local population last month when there were showers in some parts of the desert for a brief period but it was a shortterm relief.

Qazi Allah Ditta, a lambardar from Derawar, seconded Sharif`s opinion.

CDA EXEN Zahid Naqvi said that despite harsh weather conditions, the authority was trying to meet water needs of the locals. He claimed that most of the human and animal population had shifted along with the CDA`s water supply pipelines which were a source of drinking water for them. He said the pipelines were supplying water at six points. In addition, he added, four water tankers with 5,000 litre capacity each were also being used to meet the locals` demands, received on mobile phones by the officials concerned.