BAHAWALPUR: The Cholistan Development Authority (CDA) has decided to assess the extent of damage due to hailstorm in villages adjacent to vast desert in Yazman tehsil, about 30-km from here.

Dawn learnt that the survey was ordered by Managing Director (MD) Rana Muhammad Saleem after media reports that the hailstorm accompanied by heavy downpour last week had caused damage to crops in areas of Channan Pir and Derawar Fort. Some of the private TV channels had claimed losses faced by the growers and demanded that the Punjab government compensate them.

Director Chaudhry Abdul Ghaffar of revenue and colonies (R&C) CDA told Dawn the MD had ordered to carry out a survey of the areas to ascertain the extent of damage.

However, this correspondent learnt from notables of Cholistan that areas around Mithra Bungalow and Derawar Fort were severely hit by hailstorm on March 7.

According to information,wheat and raia crops had been damaged in villages 4-DRB, 5-DRB, 6-DRb, 7-DRB and 98-DB around Mithra while Derawa Fort area also came under the attack ofhailstones.

The revenue director expressed the hope that the field staff might take a week to complete the survey after which he would be in a position to provide details of the damage, if any.

FESTIVA L: T he Islamia university Bahawalpur (IUB) will hold a two-day `Bahawalpur literary and cultural festival-2020` on March 11 and 12 at its main Baghdadul Jadid campus.

In a press briefing on Monday, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Athar Mehboob along with Chairman of [mela] organising committee Syed Tabish Alwary and Bahawalpur Arts Council Director Rana Aljaz Mahmood said the festival would highlight the cultural life of Bahawalpur.

The VC said all arrangements to the effect had been completed. The highlights of the festival are a musical evening, book exhibition, food fest, digital competitions and an All-Pakistan mushaira.