Pakistan has one of the largest man-made canal systems in the world, providing irrigation facilities to 48 million acres. The canal network of Pakistan consists of main canals, branch canals, link canals, major distributaries, minor distributaries, and watercourses or field channels.

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 a main canal or main line. These canals are not used for direct irrigation. They drive water from the river/reservoir through a head regulator, and feed it to branch canals and major distributaries.

Branch canal: They take off water from the 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 the 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.

Canals in Punjab

+NameOff-take pointRiverLength (km)Designed head discharge (cusecs)Cultivable command area (acres)ObjectivesCompletion yearGreater Thal CanalChashma Jhelum Link Canal Indus358,500355,000Irrigation of land in Khushab Bhakkar and Layyah districts of Punjab.2009 (Phase I)Chashma Jhelum Link Canal Chashma BarrageIndus21,700n/aDiverts water from River Indus to River Jhelum to meet the requirement of the canals off-taking at Trimmu Barrage on river Jhelum.1971Chashma Right Bank CanalChashma BarrageIndus2721,800267,666Irrigation of lands in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.2003Thal Canal UpperJinnah BarrageIndus509,0002,115,931Irrigation of Land in Khushab, Bhakkar and Mianwali districts of Punjab.1948Lower Bari Doab CanalBalloki HeadworksRavi2129,2921,845,974 Irrigates land of Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, and Khanewal districts.1914Balloki Sulemanki Link CanalBalloki BarrageRavi8524,500n/aIt originates from Balloki Barrage on River Ravi and connects with the River Sutlej at Sulemanki Barrage.Sidhnai CanalSidhnai HeadworksRavi504,005831,369Sidhnai Mailsi Bahawal Link CanalSidhnai HeadworksRavi11911,300n/aFeeds water of River Ravi to River Sutlej.Lower Bahawal CanalSidhnai Mailsi Bahawal Link CanalRavi766,730771,000 Upper Depalpur CanalBRBD Link CanalRavi662,380345,000Lower Depalpur CanalBalloki Sulemanki Link CanalRavi82,360450,500Marala Ravi Link CanalMarala BarrageChenab10122,000154,987Originates from Marala Barrage and transfers the water of Chenab to Ravi.1956Upper Chenab CanalMarala BarrageChenab4216,8501,210,700Irrigates the lands of Gujranwala, Kamoke, Muridke and Sheikhupura.1912Lower Chenab CanalKhanki BarrageChenab648,1433,400,000Irrigation of land in Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Nanakana Sahib, Faisalabad, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh.1898Haveli Main LineTrimmu BarrageChenab697,3751,024,000Irrigates the lands of Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Muzaffargarh, Khanewal, Multan.Rangpur CanalTrimmu BarrageChenab1032,710230,000Irrigates the lands of Jhang, MuzaffargarhTrimmu Sidhnai Link CanalTrimmu BarrageChenab6912,500n/aTransfers water from Trimmu Barage into the Ravi River.Qadirabad Balloki Link CanalQadirabad BarrageChenab12725,000n/aIt is an extension of Rasul-Qadirabad Link Canal by which the water is transferred to the Ravi River.Punjnad CanalPunjnad BarrageChenab9210,4841,421,000Abbasia Link CanalPunjnad BarrageChenab765,600n/aAbbasia CanalPunjnad BarrageChenab711,394251,000Upper Jhelum CanalMangla ReservoirJhelum1428,975535,000Irrigates the plains of Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin. It provides surplus water to the lower Chenab Canal.1916Lower Jhelum CanalRasul BarrageJhelum635,2801,453,000Its command area includes the greater part of Chaj Doab – Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin and Jhang districts in Punjab.1904Jalalpur CanalRasul BarrageJhelum117175,000Irrigate the lands in Jhelum and Khushab districts.2023Rasul-Qadirabad Link Canal Rasul BarrageJhelum4719,000n/aIt carries water from Rasul Barrage on River Jhelum to the River Chenab.Bahawal CanalIslam BarrageSutlej162,74052,023Fordwah CanalSulemanki BarrageSutlej133,447430,112Eastern Sadiqia CanalSulemanki BarrageSutlej796,8201,075,000Irrigates the lands of Nili bar.Upper Pakpattan CanalSulemanki BarrageSutlej1825,508961,158Irrigates the lands of Okara, Pakpattan, Vehari, Lodhran.Lower Pakpattan CanalSidhnai Mailsi Bahawal Link CanalSutlej2141,160308,568Irrigates the lands of Vehari, Lodhran, Multan.Qaim CanalIslam HeadworksSutlej1148352,797Kachhi CanalTaunsa BarrageIndus3996,00072,000Irrigation of lands in District Dera Bugti, Balochistan.2017DG Khan CanalTaunsa BarrageIndus1118,900901,981Taunsa–Panjnad Link Canal Taunsa BarrageIndus611,2002,000,000Carries water from Taunsa on the Indus River to Chenab River to feed the Punjab canals.Muzaffargarh CanalTaunsa BarrageIndus1198,901838,380

Canals in Sindh

+NameOff-take pointRiverDesigned head discharge (cusecs)Cultivable command area (acres)ObjectivesCompletion yearRainee CanalGuddu BarrageIndus5,155113,690Irrigation of land in District Ghotki of Sindh.2014Ghotki CanalGuddu BarrageIndus8,490Pat Feeder CanalGuddu BarrageIndusIrrigate areas in the Nasirabad and Jafarabad districts of Balochistan.1963Desert Pat FeederGuddu BarrageIndus13,275Irrigation of land in Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Sohbatpur and Jhal Magsi.Begari Sindh FeederGuddu BarrageIndus14,764Nara CanalSukkur BarrageIndus13,6492,300,000It 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.1858Rohri CanalSukkur BarrageIndus10,8872,600,000Cotton, wheat and sugar-cane are the main crops grown on this canal system.Nasrat Canal (Sada Wah)Sukkur BarrageIndusKhairpur East CanalSukkur BarrageIndus2,094Khairpur West CanalSukkur BarrageIndus1,940North Western CanalSukkur BarrageIndus5,152965,000Rice CanalSukkur BarrageIndus10,658It is a seasonal canal which flows only in kharif season and is designed for rice cultivation in Larkana and surrounding districts.Dadu CanalSukkur BarrageIndus3,1501,300,000It cultivates the fields of paddy, vegetable and cotton crops in Sindh.Fuleli CanalKotri BarrageIndus14,859Kalri CanalKotri BarrageIndus9,000Pinyari CanalKotri BarrageIndus13,636Akram Wah CanalKotri BarrageIndus4,100Karachi CanalSindh Barrage IndusThar CanalSindh BarrageIndus

Canals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

+NameOff-take pointRiverDesigned head discharge (cusecs)Cultivable command area (acres)Upper Swat CanalAmandara HeadworksSwat3,600281,000Lower Swat CanalMunda HeadworksSwat1,940134,500Pehur Main Canal Tarbela ReservoirIndus25044,888Pehur High Level CanalTarbela ReservoirIndus100010,531Warsak CanalWarsak DamKabul595107,414Kabul River CanalWarsak DamKabul80072,0020

See also Punjab Canal Colonies Punjab Irrigation Department List of barrages and headworks in Pakistan List of rivers of Pakistan List of canals

References

External links

Irrigation Department Government of Punjab Irrigation Department Government of KP Irrigation Department Government of Sindh