Pakistan certifies first organic cotton bale
Balochistan on Wednesday marked the certification of Pakistan's first organic cotton bale at a ceremony held at Kot Sabzal. Balochistan's Minister for Agriculture Engineer Zamrak Khan said the provincial
Dawn (Pakistan)
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Minister blames vested interests, officials for water shortage
Provincial minister without portfolio, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, has blamed vested interests and corrupt officials of Irrigation Department for
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Council deplores water shortage
Shortage of water rendered most of the farmers unable to sow cotton at the most appropriate time, said District Council members during Wednesday's session. They deplored the daily seven to 10 hours of load-shedding as this was taking toll on the physical, psychological and financial status of Hesco consumers.
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Wheat crisis culprits will not be spared'
Sindh Food Minister Mir Nadir Ali Magsi has said that the province has so far procured 0.4 million tons of wheat and the department's vigilance teams are maintaining a strict check on the smuggling and hoarding of the commodity. Talking to various delegations at his residence, the minister said that the vigilance teams were carrying out raids for the purpose and the action was producing good results. He warned that a handful of hoarders would not be allowed to create famine to amass wealth.
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Wasa directed to get water tested
Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa) has been directed to conduct laboratory tests of water before releasing it into pipelines. District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil gave the directive while discussing measures to control gastroenteritis with health officials and elected representatives. He said old water pipelines should be replaced and daily reports be submitted to him directly on measures taken by concerned departments. He said magistrates will be deputed to ensure no rotten fruit or vegetable or substandard drinks were sold in the market.
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5pc people in Pakistan suffer from asthma'
Asthma has caused 250,000 deaths across the globe and poses a big challenge to the world community. In Pakistan, five per cent people are suffering from the disease. This was stated at a news conference held in connection with the World Asthma Day at the press club here on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Chest Society president Prof Dr Arshad Javaid said that at present 300 million people in the world suffered from asthma and the number of patients would rise to 450 million by 2025 if the disease continued to spread at the current ratio.
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Water shortages trigger violence
Farmers staged protest demonstrations, manhandled irrigation department staff and blocked main roads in four towns of the district on Tuesday in protest against water shortage. Hundreds of farmers, whose land is irrigated through Dilary distributary, staged a protest outside the office of irrigation department in Kot Ghulam Mohammad. The protesters were carrying banners and placards and were demanding water in the canal.
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Three-day polio drive begins
The Expanded Programme on Immunisation, Sindh chapter, has finalised all arrangements for a three-day polio eradication campaign being launched on Tuesday in the province. Children, from newborns to five-year-olds, will be administered the oral anti-polio vaccine at their doorsteps in the sub-national immunisation days. EPI officials have requested parents to extend full cooperation to make the campaign a success.
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Japanese loan to be used for rural uplift in Sindh and Punjab
A Rs29.6 billion loan approved by Japan under its official development assistance (ODA) will be used for development of rural areas in Sindh and Punjab and development of infrastructure and irrigation sector. The Japan Bank for Inter-national Cooperation (JBIC) has now released details of the 47.943billion yen (Rs29.6 billion) ODA utilisation, an agreement for which was signed on Saturday.
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Wheat smuggling
The chairman of the food department's vigilance committee, Shah Nawaz Khan Magsi, has said that influential people are involved in the smuggling and black marketing of wheat and flour. Talking to journalists at press club on Saturday, he said that Sindh had a record production of wheat which was sufficient for two years but some unscrupulous elements, were engaged in black marketing and smuggling. He warned of strict action against them.
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Lahorites hit by power, water outages
Electricity loadshedding and deficient water supply made it difficult for the people in the city to spend the weekly holiday in hot weather. Staying indoors in the absence of power or going out in the blazing sun was like living in hell. The wind was too hot to be braved, making the city streets deserted for almost the entire day. However, locals visited parks and open places in the evening to have a relief. Youngsters found some respite by flocking to the city canal without caring how much its water was polluted.