ASSIGNMENT- 1

INTRODUCTION TO
IRRIGATION
07-CIVIL-163
2 Pakistan Irrigation System

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction.................................................................................... 1
Salient Features..............................................................................3
Challenges In Indus Basin Irrigation System.....................4
Salient Features Of Barrages In Pakistan...........................5
Salient Features Of off-taking canals In Pakistan...........6
3 Pakistan Irrigation System

INDUS BASIN IRRIGATION SYSTEM (IBIS), BRIEF HISTORY

AND SALIENT FEATURES.

Pakistan, a country of enchanting landscapes

offers a combination of beaches, mountains, beautiful
deserts and valleys. Its vast farm lands are sustained
by the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS), the largest
contiguous irrigation system in the world. The IBIS
irrigates 45 million acres of farm land which produces
wheat, rice, fruits, vegetables, sugarcane, maize and
cotton in abundance for local use as well as for export.

This report provides the historical context in which

the IBIS was developed. It discusses the economic
impact of the IBIS on Pakistan, and provides
recommendations for some current problems related
to insufficient drainage and inefficient farming practices.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Indus Valley has been the host to one of the most ancient civilization of human
history, the Indus Valley Civilization. After the extinction of the Indus Civilization, new
settlements especially in doabs grew slowly. New irrigation systems started to evolve.
Inundation canals and small dams were constructed and population grew all around this
4 Pakistan Irrigation System

area. In order to reduce the occurrence of low irrigation water supply the British authorities,
towards the middle of the last century, started modernizing and expanding the irrigation
system of the Indus Basin.

TREATY BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA

In 1947, the Indian sub continent was partitioned by the British into two independent
states – Pakistan and India. After the partition a commission was set up to resolve any issue
that may emerge as a consequence of the partition. The matter of utilization of water
resources of Indus Basin was raised by Pakistan. The boundary commission, chaired by Sir
Cyril Radcliff, awarded control barrages (situated very close to the border) to India, while 90
percent of irrigated land lay in Pakistan.

After a protracted negotiation of ten years through facilitation of the World Bank, the
Indus Basin Treaty was signed by India and Pakistan in 1960 for distribution of water
resources in the Indus Basin. According to the terms of the treaty India was given the
exclusive use of the waters of the eastern rivers namely Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. Pakistan was
not given its full historic share and was allocated only 75 percent of its legitimate share of
the waters in Indus Basin. Consequently, Pakistan agreed to embark upon a gigantic project
nicknamed as “Indus Basin Replacement Works”. The extensive undertaking involved the
construction of two major dams, five barrages and eight link canals.

SALIENT FEATURES OF INDUS RIVER BASIN

Pakistan’s Indus River Basin System comprises five main rivers, namely the Indus,
Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej aided by a number of smaller rivers (Kabul, Swat, Haro,
Kunhar,Chitral, Tochi, Shah Alam, Naguman, Adezai, Soan etc) and streams/Nullahs, these
five rivers supply water to the entire Indus Basin Irrigation System. These rivers have their
origin in the higher altitudes and derive their flows mainly from snow-melt and monsoon
rains.

Catchment area of Indus is most unique in the sense that it contains seven (7) of the
world’s highest peaks after Mount Everest. Among these include the K2 (28,253 ft), Nanga
Parbat (26,600 ft), Rakaposhi (25,552 ft) etc. Further to above, seven (7) glaciers situated in
the Indus catchment are among the largest in the world, namely, Siachin, Hispar, Biafo,
Baltura, Baltoro, Barpu and Hopper.

PAKISTAN’S IBIS
5 Pakistan Irrigation System

Pakistan’s economy is largely based on its agricultural produce. Water is therefore a

critical resource for its sustained economic development. In order to fully utilize the river
water resources, the IBIS has emerged as the largest contiguous irrigation system in the
world. The IBIS comprises of three large dams, eighty five small dams, nineteen barrages,
twelve inter-river link canals, forty-five canal commands and 0.7 million tube wells In
monetary terms, this network is the biggest infrastructure enterprise of Pakistan accounting
for approximately US$ 300 billion of investment.

WATER ABILITY OF THE ‘IBIS’

There are three main sources of water availability in the Indus Basin:

A. The average annual flow of Western Rivers of Indus Basin is approximately 149
million acre feet (MAF). About 104 MAF of this water is diverted for irrigation
purposes and about 35 million acre feet outflows to the Arabian Sea.
B. Rain Water:
Another source of water is the rain fall. Irrigated areas of Indus Basin receive on
average 40 million acres feet of water annually.
C. Ground Water:
The third source of water is the ground water. It provides approximately 40 percent
of crop water requirements of the country.

CHALLENGES IN INDUS BASIN IRRIGATION SYSTEM

For any sustainable irrigation system that is dependent on river water supplies, it is
necessary to have a system of affluent disposal. However, when the British engineers
designed and constructed the barrages and canals in Punjab and Sindh, they did not install
an affluent disposal system. This lack of an affluent disposal system gave rise to the twin
problems of water logging and salinity. The problem is currently being addressed through
construction of a network of disposal drains, many of which have been completed while
more are under execution.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INDUS BASIN IRRIGATION SYSTEM

The agricultural produce, in addition to providing food security constitutes:

A. 23 percent of GDP
B. 70 percent of total export earnings
 6 Pakistan Irrigation System

C. 54 percent employment of labour force

The overwhelming majority of its produce comes from the areas irrigated in the Indus
Basin. The IBIS is therefore essential in sustaining the agriculture and consequently
economic well-being of Pakistan. The Indus Basin now serves as the bread basket of
Pakistan. Its land use is furnished below.

CURRENT PROBLEMS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Farmers in Pakistan receive their share of irrigation waters on a rotational basis. To

protect the right of share of their water, the farmers are using more than the optimum
quantity of water required for healthy crops. Lack of modern irrigation techniques and
agricultural practices further add to the wastage of irrigation water. Some solutions outlined
below can potentially serve to address this issue:

 Increase plantation of fruit trees.

 Expand forested areas.
 All existing dams small and large should be used for fish breeding and harvesting.
 Develop agricultural based industries and timber factories in the rural areas to
provide employment to small farmers and increase the percentage of value added
goods for export.
 Group small farms into larger units for cooperative farming using the latest irrigation
and farming techniques and modern agricultural practices.
 Increase the production of beans, lentils and edible oil seeds to reduce their imports.
 Develop pastures for cattle farming and increase milk and meat production.
 Big land holdings more than five thousand acres of area should be made available for
co operative farming.
 The level and standard of research should be enhanced in the existing agricultural
universities of Pakistan.

SALIENT FEATURES OF BARRAGES IN PAKISTAN

No.
Length (ft) of
Year of Design No. No. of off-
Crest level
BARRAGES Completio River Discharge of under takin
Left Right (S.P.D)
n (cusecs) Bays sluices g
Guide Guide canal
bank bank s
Chashma 1971 Indus 4302 4302 11,00,000 52 11 622 2
Jinnah 1946 Indus 4099 5487 9,50,000 42 13 678 1
 7 Pakistan Irrigation System

Taunsa 1959 Indus 8327 8327 7,50,000 53 12 428 4

Sukkur 1932 Indus - - 15,00,000 54 12 177 7
Kotri 1955 Indus 6000 6000 8,75,000 44 - 48 4
Rasul 1967 Jhelum 3977 2638 8,50,000 42 6 703 2
Guddu 1962 Indus - - 12,00,000 64 - 236 5
Marala 1968 Chenab 5116 3669 1,100,000 66 13 800 2
Balloki 1965 Ravi 2950 2250 2,25,000 35 - 624.5 2
Qadirabad 1967 Chenab 5599 5599 900,000 50 5 684.5 1
Trimmu 1939 Chenab - - 6,45,000 37 14 477.5 3
Punjnad 1932 Chenab 4218 4218 7,00,000 47 - 325 2
Sidhnai 1965 Ravi - - 1,50,000 15 4 454 2
Sulemanki 1926 Sutluj 4700 4700 3,25,000 24 16 560 3
Islam 1927 Sutluj 4210 4210 3,00,000 29 4 435.50-141 2
Ghazi 35,000-
Continued Indus - - - - - -
Gariala 60,000

SALIENT FEATURES OF OFF-TAKING CANALS FROM THE BARRAGES

IN PAKISTAN

Area to
Year of be Discharg
Sr. Originating Length
Canal constructio irrigate e Zone
No River/Barrage (Canal Mile)
n d (cusecs)
(Acres)
Mai
          Total    
n
Upper Jhelum/Mangla
1 1915 613 88 730.8 - -
Jhelum Dam
Lower 1566.
2 1901 jhelum/Rasul 1616 39.4 5500 Sargodha
Jhelum 4
Upper 1593.
3 1912 Chenab/Marala 1563 42.8 16850 Lahore
Chenab 9
1593.
4 BRBD 1956 Chenab/Marala 1563 42.8 7260 Lahore
9
5 MR link 1956 Chenab/Marala 175 - 189.9 22000 Lahore
Lower Bari
6 1859 Ravi/Balloki 709 - 804.6 - -
Doab
Lower 155. 2984.
7 1892 Chenab/Khanki 3998 8143 -
Chenab 9 1
129.
8 CBDC 1913 Chenab/Marala 1789 1522 - -
9
Upper
9 1928 Chenab/Marala 384 52.9 481.2 - -
Debalpur
183. 1143.
10 Pakpattan 1927 Sutlej/Sulemanki 1177 5508 Multan
1 2
11 Muzaffargarh 1958 Indus/Taunsa 928 74.2 1053 8901 D.G khan
8 Pakistan Irrigation System

2120.
12 Thal 1947 Indus/Jinnah 2219 31.5 9000 Kalabagh
1
138.
13 Rangpur 1939 Chenab/Trimmu 358 523.3 12500 Multan
2
1118.
14 D.G Khan 1958 Indus/Taunsa 957 69 8900 D.G khan
4
1640.
15 Punjnad 1929 Sutlej/Punjnad 1532 57.2 12000 D.G khan
3
Bahawalpu
16 Abbasia 1929 Sutlej/Punjnad 296 25.7 168.4 1394
r
17 Bahawal 1927 Sutlej/Islam 733 17.9 676 500 Multan
18 Qasim 1927 Sutlej/Islam 1098 33 983.2 483 Multan
19 Mailsi 1928 Sutlej/Islam 1098 33 983.2 630 Multan
20 E. Sadiqia 1926 Sutlej/Sulemanki 1172 49 903.2 6820 Multan
21 Fordwah 1927 Sutlej/Sulemanki 561 9.2 506.2 3447 Multan
Lower
22 1928 Ravi/Balloki 654 6.4 779 - -
Debalpur
1145. Bahawalpu
23 Sidhnai Canal 1886 Ravi/Sidhnai 1160 36.4 5338
2 r
1145.
24 Havali 1939 Chenab/Trimmu 1160 36.4 12500 Multan
2

References
 Ndma.gov.pk
 www.tbl.com.pk
 www.scribd.com
 Irrigation.punjab.gov.pk