Pakistan has one of the largest man-made canal systems in the world providing irrigation facilities to 48 million acres.[1] Canal network of Pakistan consists of Main Canals, Branch Canals, Link Canals, Major distributaries, Minor distributaries, and Watercourses or Field Channels.[2]

Main Canal: A principal channel off-taking directly from a river or reservoir which has discharge capacity of above 25 cubic meter/sec (cumecs) is called Main Canal or Main Line. These Canals are not used for direct irrigation. They drive water from the river/ reservoir through head regulator and feed it to Branch Canals and Major distributaries.

Branch Canal: They take-off water from Main Canal and feed the Major and Minor distributaries. They are also not used for direct irrigation. Their discharge capacity usually ranges from 5-25 cubic meter/second.

Link Canal: These Canals are meant to Transfer Water of three Western Rivers, namely Chenab, Jhelum and Indus to the canals dependent on the three Eastern Rivers, namely Sutlej, Beas and Ravi.

Some of the notable canals of Pakistan are listed here.[1][3][4][5][6]

Canals in Punjab

Name Off-take Point River Length (Km) Designed Head Discharge (cusecs) Cultivable Command Area (Acres) Objectives Completion Year
Greater Thal Canal Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal Indus 35 8,500 355,000 Irrigation of Land in Khushab Bhakkar and Layyah Districts of Punjab. 2009

(Phase I)

Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal Chashma Barrage Indus 21,700 n/a Divert water from River Indus to River Jehlum to meet the requirement of the canals off-taking at Trimmu Barrage on river Jehlum. 1971
Chashma Right Bank Canal Chashma Barrage Indus 272 1,800 267,666 Irrigation of lands in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa & Punjab. 2003
Thal Canal Upper Jinnah Barrage Indus 50 9,000 2,115,931 Irrigation of Land in Khushab, Bhakkar and Mianwali Districts of Punjab. 1949
Lower Bari Doab Canal Balloki Headworks Ravi 212 9,292 1,845,974 Irrigates land of Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, and Khanewal districts. 1914
Balloki Sulemanki Link Canal Balloki Barrage Ravi 85 24,500 n/a It originates from Balloki Barrage on River Ravi and connects with the River Sutlej at Sulemanki Barrage.
Sidhnai Canal Sidhnai Headworks Ravi 50 4,005 831,369
Sidhnai Mailsi Bahawal Link Canal Sidhnai Headworks Ravi 119 11,300 n/a Feeds water of River Ravi to River Sutlej.
Lower Bahawal Canal Sidhnai Mailsi Bahawal Link Canal Ravi 76 6,730 771,000
Upper Depalpur Canal BRBD Link Canal Ravi 66 2,380 345,000
Lower Depalpur Canal Balloki Sulemanki Link Canal Ravi 8 2,360 450,500
Marala Ravi Link Canal Marala Barrage Chenab 101 22,000 154,987 Originates from Marala Barrage and transfers the water of Chenab to Ravi. 1956
Upper Chenab Canal Marala Barrage Chenab 42 16,850 1,210,700 Irrigates the lands of Gujranwala, Kamoke, Muridke and Sheikhupura. 1912
Lower Chenab Canal Khanki Barrage Chenab 64 8,143 3,400,000 Irrigation of land in Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Nanakana Sahib, Faisalabad, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh. 1898
Haveli Main Line Trimmu Barrage Chenab 69 7,375 1,024,000 Irrigates the lands of Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Muzaffargarh, Khanewal, Multan
Rangpur Canal Trimmu Barrage Chenab 103 2,710 230,000 Irrigates the lands of Jhang, Muzaffargarh
Trimmu Sidhnai Link Canal Trimmu Barrage Chenab 69 12,500 n/a Transfers water from Trimmu Barage in to the Ravi River.
Qadirabad Balloki Link Canal Qadirabad Barrage Chenab 127 25,000 n/a It is an extension of Rasul-Qadirabad Link Canal by which the water is transferred to the Ravi river.
Punjnad Canal Punjnad Barrage Chenab 92 10,484 1,421,000
Abbasia Link Canal Punjnad Barrage Chenab 76 5,600 n/a
Abbasia Canal Punjnad Barrage Chenab 71 1,394 251,000
Upper Jhelum Canal Mangla Reservoir Jehlum 142 8,975 535,000 Irrigate the plains of Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin. Provide its surplus water to the lower Chenab Canal. 1916
Lower Jhelum Canal Rasul Barrage Jehlum 63 5,280 1,453,000 Its command area includes the greater part of Chaj Doab – Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin and Jhang districts in Punjab. 1904
Jalalpur Canal Rasul Barrage Jehlum 117 175,000 Irrigate the lands in Jhelum and Khushab Districts. 2023
Rasul-Qadirabad Link Canal Rasul Barrage Jehlum 47 19,000 n/a It carries water from Rasul Barrage on River Jhelum to the River Chenab.
Bahawal Canal Islam Barrage Sutlej 16 2,740 52,023
Fordwah Canal Sulemanki Barrage Sutlej 13 3,447 430,112
Eastern Sadiqia Canal Sulemanki Barrage Sutlej 79 6,820 1,075,000 Irrigate the lands of Nili bar.
Upper Pakpattan Canal Sulemanki Barrage Sutlej 182 5,508 961,158 Irrigates the lands of Okara, Pakpattan, Vehari, Lodhran.
Lower Pakpattan Canal Sidhnai Mailsi Bahawal Link Canal Sutlej 214 1,160 308,568 Irrigates the lands of Vehari, Lodhran, Multan.
Qaim Canal Islam Headworks Sutlej 11 483 52,797
Kachhi Canal Taunsa Barrage Indus 399 6,000 72,000 Irrigation of Lands in District Dera Bugti, Balochistan. 2017
DG Khan Canal Taunsa Barrage Indus 111 8,900 901,981
Taunsa Punjnad Link Canal Taunsa Barrage Indus 61 1,200 2,000,000 Carries water from Taunsa on the Indus River to Chenab river to feed the Punjab canals.
Muzaffargarh Canal Taunsa Barrage Indus 119 8,901 838,380

Canals in Sindh

Name Off-take Point River Designed Head Discharge (cusecs) Cultivable Command Area (Acres) Objectives Completion Year
Rainee Canal Guddu Barrage Indus 5,155 113,690 Irrigation of Land in District Ghotki of Sindh. 2014
Ghotki Canal Guddu Barrage Indus 8,490
Pat Feeder Canal Guddu Barrage Indus Irrigate areas in the Nasirabad and Jafarabad districts of Balochistan. 1963
Desert Pat Feeder Guddu Barrage Indus 13,275 Irrigation of Land in Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Sohbatpur and Jhal Magsi.
Begari Sindh Feeder Guddu Barrage Indus 14,764
Nara Canal Sukkur Barrage Indus 13,649 2,300,000 It is the longest canal of Pakistan. This Canal caters for an area of 2.3 million acres which is nearly equivalent to the entire Sindh area settled on Guddu Barrage alone. 1858
Rohri Canal Sukkur Barrage Indus 10,887 2,600,000 Cotton, wheat and sugar-cane are the main crops grown on this canal system.
Nasrat Canal (Sada Wah)[7] Sukkur Barrage Indus
Khairpur East Canal Sukkur Barrage Indus 2,094
Khairpur West Canal Sukkur Barrage Indus 1,940
North Western Canal Sukkur Barrage Indus 5,152 965,000
Rice Canal Sukkur Barrage Indus 10,658 It is a seasonal canal which flows only in kharif season and is designed for rice cultivation in Larkana and surrounding districts.
Dadu Canal Sukkur Barrage Indus 3,150 1,300,000 It cultivates the fields of paddy, vegetable and cotton crops in Sindh.
Fuleli Canal Kotri Barrage Indus 14,859
Kalri Canal Kotri Barrage Indus 9,000
Pinyari Canal Kotri Barrage Indus 13,636
Akram Wah Canal Kotri Barrage Indus 4,100

Canals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Name Off-take Point River Designed Head Discharge (cusecs) Cultivable Command Area (Acres)
Upper Swat Canal Amandara Headworks Swat 3,600 281,000
Lower Swat Canal Munda Headworks Swat 1,940 134,500
Pehur Main Canal Tarbela Reservoir Indus 250 44,888
Pehur High Level Canal Tarbela Reservoir Indus 1000 10,531
Warsak Canal Warsak Dam Kabul 595 107,414
Kabul River Canal Warsak Dam Kabul 800 72,000

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "WAPDA Annual Report 2019-20". wapda.gov.pk. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  2. ^ "Water Resources and Irrigation Network of Pakistan" (PDF). tripleis.org. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  3. ^ "irrigation zone". irrigation.punjab.gov.pk. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  4. ^ "irrigation network". irrigation.sindh.gov.pk. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  5. ^ "irrigation infrastructure".
  6. ^ "IRSA Balochistan". pakirsa.gov.pk. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  7. ^ "Nusrat Canal overflows". DAWN.COM. 2006-10-06. Retrieved 2024-02-19.

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