Introduction

Rahim Yar Khan district is located in Punjab. It was declared as a separate administration district in 1943. The district derives its name from its headquarters Rahim Yar Khan. The previous name of this district was Naushehra which was built in 1875 by Fazal Elahi Halani on the ruins of the ancient Pul-Wadda during the Sumra rule in Sindh. Later Nawab Sadiq Khan-IV of Bahawalpur renamed it after his son Rahim Yar Khan.

Rahim Yar Khan is bounded on the north by Muzaffargarh district, on the east by Bahawalpur district, on the south by Jasilmir (India) and Ghotki district of Sindh province and on the west by Rajanpur district.

The total area of the district is 11,880 square kilometers. The district comprises four Tehsils namely Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad, Liaquatpur and Khanpur. There are three municipal committees and five town committees in the district.

Flora

The flora of the district characterizes two major ecological divisions, northern and southern. The botanical life found in the northern half is like that of the rest of the irrigated tracts at central Punjab. The human interference in the form of irrigation network has greatly damaged the natural environment. Increases in cultivation, waterlogged areas, and salinity have badly hurt plant life. Because of the increase of salinity at the surface, only salt resistant plants can survive in most of the area. The southern half of the district, characterized by sand dunes, is mostly barren. The exception is in the rainy season when multitudes of ephemeral plants come up and transform the bare land into a lush green carpet. These ephemeral plants complete their life cycles before the summer heat arrives, leaving the land bare and dry.

Fauna

The arid land, generally referred to as the Cholistan desert, has a lot of wild life. Wild cats, the Chinkara deer, a variety of pigs, jackals, foxes, badgers, porcupines, squirrels, gerbils, wild rats, mongeese, poisonous snakes, hog deer, blue bulls, ravine deer, sand grouse, wild lizards, wild egrets are among many other creatures are found in the district.

Weather

The climate of the district is hot and dry in the summer and cold and dry in the winter. The summer season is comparatively longer. It starts in April and continues until October. The winter season goes from November to March. However, the month of March and November are pleasant. Dust storms are frequent during the summer season. The average rain fall is about 100 millimeters.

Agriculture

The major crops in the district are cotton, sugarcane, and wheat. Most of the orchards are comprised of mangoes and citrus.

Industries, Trade, and Trade Centers

The major industries of the district are textile, cotton ginning and pressing, sugar, cottonseed oil, edible oil, soap, beverage making, agricultural implement manufacturing, and fertilizer manufacturing.

Cottage industry includes ginning, pottery/clay products, electric desert cooler, agricultural machinery, handicrafts, and embroidery.

Population

The total population of Rahim Yar Khan district was 3,141,053 in 1998. 19.6 percent of the total population lives in urban areas.

Mother Tongue

Saraiki is the predominant language being spoken in the district. 62.6 percent of the population speaks it. Punjabi and Urdu are spoken by 27.3 and 2.9 percent respectively. Sindhi is spoken by 2.0 percent. The rest of the population speaks Pushto, Balochi, Bravi, and Dari.

Literacy

In 1998, 33.1 percent of the population was reported as being able to read at least one language. This was up from 20 percent in 1981. In urban areas, 65.0 percent of males and 48.4 percent of women were able to read. In rural areas, 37.9 percent of males, and 14.9 percent of females were able to read.

Immunization

In 1998, 65.9 percent of children were reported to have been vaccinated in the Rahim Yar Khan district. Reported as not vaccinated were 9.9 percent of children. And for 24.2 percent, it was not known whether they had or hadn't been vaccinated.