Pakistan‘s eastern Cholistan is also having effects of changes in weather. Mohammad Ishaque who lives in a village of Rajan Pur Cholistan still lives in the desert. His village is a typical Pakistani village with a simple traditional mosque and a red bricks school. He cults dry fodder and raises buffalos. He says life is ?very hard ?now as the water is scarce. ?This village has few household all of whom are farmers, cotton wheat rice and few other crops are?traditionally?grown here since ages.
Its December and wheat growing season is already over but most of the farmers of Jahan Pur have not been able to grow wheat this year.
“This year we have still not been able to sow wheat as we didnt get any water, cotton was also not grown this year due to the fear of floods which came last year and washed all crops.” says Shaheen a farmer in Rajanpur.
“People are very poor they dont have much to stake for the crop and fear of flood was a main cause for not growing the cotton. Some people had grown but it was like if some one had 5 acres he only used 3 or even two acres” Shaheen ads.
Having ?Kohe Suleman hills in the west, district rajan pur has always received floods during rainy season. The water from hills come in shape of a stream.
There is even a canal made for letting this water thru the area to river Indus but in 2008 August this stream was so fierse that it is said that such flood had come only back in the 18th century. In January 2009 again there were heavy rains in the area and people’s resources were exhausted and they couldnt grow the crops also the fear of floods kept them from investing in the fields.
The meteriological department department director in Rahim Yar KhanMohammad Hanif says there had been drastic changes in the weather of Pakistan since last 10 years.
When you talk about changes we have to see what kind of changes have the seasons been shrinked or expanded. As for Pakistan its northern areas like the areas of Kashmir and Potohar region the annual rain fall has increased.
Although the increase of rain fall is positive but there has been a shift in the rain fall it has gone from East to the West. There will be an impact of this on seasonal crops and also water reservoirs in the country.
Once example Hanif Khan gives is that the flooding which used to happen in Ravi Satlaj and Chenab would be reduced and will be shifted more towards the west like NWFP &?Baluchistan?areas like was there will also be more flooding in south west Punjab like DG khan and surroundings.
This shift of weather has hit the life in the eastern areas of the country like the Cholistan Desert where people had a traditional nomadic way of life.
The people in Cholistan have always depended on rain and have moved from one place to other with their herd of camels and cows. ?Local maiden says there has been no rain since last 2 years and people are having very dificult time specially the herds many people’s animals have died here and are scattered here and there. Local people are called here Rohely (People Who live in Rohi) they raise their hers and live with rain but due to lack of rains their Tobas (Man Made ditches of water) are dry and they are being forced to go towards the riverine areas.
The report was produced by BBC Urdu’s Zaheeruddin Babar translated in English by Jamal Panhwar. Pictures courtesy Zaheeruddin Babar BBC
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