DEVELOPMENT OF WATER RESOURCES

RESOURCE:
Resources are defined as a mean of meeting a need, particularly an economic or social need of the
people.
The term usually refers to natural resources like Land, Water, Air etc.

NATURAL
RESOURCES

Non-
Renewable
Renewable
Resources Resources

Fossil Fuels Minerals Continuous Sustainable

(Remains of Plants & (Metallic & Non- Water, Wind, (Vegetation, Soil,
Animals) Metallic) Waves, Sunlight Landscape)

IMPORTANCE OF RIVERS:
• Creates Scenic Beauty which promotes Tourism in the country.
• Helps to generate Hydro Electric Power (H.E.P)
• Enhances the fertility of soil by spreading fresh alluvium.
• Promotes Fishing by which many people earned money.
• Provides water for domestic and industrial use.
• Provides water for Irrigation through canals.

EASTERN RIVERS WESTERN RIVERS

Jhelum, Chenab, Kabul, Kuram, Tochi,
Ravi, Sutlej Gomal

INDUS RIVER
SYSTEM
 EASTERN TRIBUTARIES
OF PAKISTAN
J,C,R,S are the main eastern
tributaries of Indus. Rising in the
Himalayas and passing through
Kashmir and enter the plain.

River Beas joins Sutlej before

Entering into Pakistan. Sutlej joins
Chenab at Panjnad to become River
Panjnad which then join Indus near
Mithankot.

The volume of water starts to rise

from March onwards.

The Indus show the highest

discharge during the monsoon
season, it is also
fed by the glaciers of the Hindu
Kush and Karakoram ranges
which are bigger in size than other
glaciers.

Dams and barrages on the river

regulate the flow of water to protect
the areas against flood and to reduce
water loss to the sea. With the
melting of the snow the volume of
water in all the eastern tributaries
increase during summer. There are
marked different in the mean
monthly discharge of the different
rivers.

The river Indus has the highest mean monthly discharge in June and July. Since winter precipitation is
low and in any case is in the form of snow. The melt water is not available to river Indus until the
spring time.

DRAINAGE OF RIVERS OF BALOCHISTAN

• Quetta, being a high-altitude region has the central position in the drainage pattern of Balochistan.
• Rivers like Zhob, Kandhar, and the Kalachi drains into River Indus because they flow eastwards
• The rivers Loralai, Chakar, Bolan and Mula are absorbed into the Kalachi Sibbi plain
• The rivers Flab, Porali, Hingol and Mashkel drain into the Arabean sea
• There are many small rivers that flow westward and drain into shallow depressions called hamuns
River in Balochistan are much smaller than in the Indus System.

WESTERN TRIBUTARIES OF RIVER INDUS

• Rivers to the west of the Indus are smaller in length and width and have less water
than the eastern tributaries.
• The river Swat and Kabul carry a
significant volume of water but the Tochi,
Kurram and Gomal rarely contain much
water
• All these rivers contain more water
during summer season because of the snow
• During winter, the volume of water decreases as
the temperature falls and the snow
does not melt.

IRRIGATION
It is the artificial supply of water to land in order to encourage the plant growth/ water crops.
It is very important in Arid, Semi-Arid and Humid areas just to improve yield.
In our country 75% of cultivated area is under irrigation. This system has developed from
traditional lift irrigation to complex canal system. But in our country agriculture totally
depends on irrigation.

Why We Need Irrigation

1. Most of the areas in our country experience aridity or semi-aridity which increases
from north to south.
2. High variability in the distribution of rainfall. This variability ranges from 30 to 70 %
in humid areas, 30 to 40 % in arid areas and 40 to 70 % in semi-arid areas.
3. Long dry spell (April to June and October to November) in Pakistan.
4. High variability in the timings of rainfall.
5. Small no. of rainy days which are 20 in south, 20 to 50 days in northern areas and 93
at Murree per annum.
6. High rate of evapo-transpiration especially in arid and semi-arid areas.
7. In 1948 India has stopped the water of canals, irrigated the areas of newly founded
Pakistan.
8. Recently India has constructed the dams on River Indus and River Chenab.

Methods of Irrigation
There are two methods of irrigation.

1. Traditional / Conventional Methods of irrigation.

i. Lift Irrigation
ii. Shaduf
iii. Charsa
iv. Persian Wheel
v. Karez

2. Modern Methods of Irrigation

i. Tube well
ii. Canals

Traditional Methods
Lift Irrigation
One of the oldest methods of irrigation in
Pakistan is lift irrigation. In early times, water
was lifted by hand in a bucket attached to a
rope from shallow wells and ditches.
Because it involved a considerable amount of labor, only a small area of land could be
irrigated.

Shaduf
The shaduf consists of a
bucket suspended by a rope from
one end of the pole. A weight
(like a rock) is placed at the
another end of the pole. The pole is
suspended on a Y shaped post at a well
or a river bank. The bucket is
dipped into the water by hand and the
weight at another end of the pole
helps to lift it up.
With a lot of efforts, only one-tenth of
a hectare can be irrigated and
this method is now outdated.

Charsa
In this method the use of animal power to pull the bucket, which
was suspended by a rope on a pully erected near a well.
It then became possible to draw water from wells up to
a depth of 5 to 7 meters, meaning that a larger area
could be irrigated.

PERSIAN WHEEL
In the Persian wheel, a number of buckets are
lowered into a well on a chain. As a result, there
is a continuous supply of water as the empty
buckets descend into the well and come out
full of water. With this method, water up to a
depth of 23 to 26 meters can be accessed and
powered by a pair of Bullocks or Camel.
The Persian wheel, along with the charsa, are
the most common methods of lift irrigation in
Pakistan and have used for several centuries.

Modern Methods of Irrigation

TUBEWELL
The tubewell is a fairly new addition
to Pakistan’s irrigation system. It can
tap water up to depths of several
hundred meters and is operated by diesel
or electric motors. Tubewell also help
to lower the water-table thereby
protecting the land from water logging
and salinity.
ADVANTAGES OF SPRINKLER
• It can easily be connected to public supply water pipelines
• Does not cause water logging and salinity due to efficient use of water
• It prevents the wastage of water
• It can be installed in uneven area as well

DISADVANTAGES OF SPRINKLER
• Expensive as huge capital is required
• Can irrigate limited area.
• Rusting is problem with sprinkler
• It cannot be used for commercial agriculture

ADVANTAGES OF CONVENTIONAL IRRIGATION SYSTEM

• Suitable for subsistence farming.
• Easy to install due to inherited skill except karez system
• These are cost effective
• Materials used in are locally available

DISADVANTAGES OF CONVENTIONAL IRRIGATION SYSTEM

➢ Limited area can be irrigated
➢ Far away areas cannot be irrigated
➢ These are mostly time consuming
➢ These cannot be used for commercial farming

ADVANTAGES OF MODERN IRRIGATION SYSTEM

• More efficient / faster / does not need to rest.
• Larger area can be irrigated.
• Regular supply / can be used at any time of year / continuous.
• Cleaner water.
• Reduces waterlogging and salinity.
• Less labor required.

DISADVANTAGES OF MODERN IRRIGATION SYSTEM

➢ Expensive / cannot be used by poor farmers.
➢ Maintenance is difficult / expensive.
➢ Diesel is expensive.
➢ Spare parts are expensive.
➢ Reduces groundwater / lower water table.

CANAL
A man-made water way used to transport goods or irrigation water.
Canal has two types.

i. Inundation Canals / Seasonal Canals

ii. Perennial Canals

INUNDATION / SEASONAL CANALS

These are seasonal canals and provide water to the fields in summer when the donner rivers are in
flood. These canals open in rainy season and closed in winters. These canals are beneficial for kharif
crops. Rabi crops took advantage of the moisture left in the land from summer flooding.
 These canals irrigate the active flood plains where the land is sufficiently leveled and down ward
slopes from the river banks. The main network of these canals in Sindh and southern Punjab. The bar
upland areas were not served by these canals as they could not rise up 5 to 7 meters high bluff
separating the flood plains and the bar upland.

Advantages
1. To reduce the flood pressure.
2. Useful for lower areas like Sindh and southern Punjab

Disadvantages
1. Do not supply water throughout the year.
2. Single crop is cultivated.
3. Do not supply water to upland areas.

PERENNIAL CANALS
These canals bring water to the fields throughout the year and are useful for both crops.
These canals have been taken out in bar upland areas from the dams and barrages.

Advantages
1. Supply of water round the year.
2. Both crops are benefited.
3. Provide water to the higher areas.

i. Lined Canals
Lined canals are paved with cement and brickwork on the bed and sides.

ii. Unlined Canals

Unlined canals are without any brick work. Their bottom and sides are of earth and soil.

Disadvantages of Unlined Canals

1. Rise water table to the surface level.
2. Cause waterlogging and salinity.
Factors leading to the development of the canal irrigation system in Pakistan
1. Cheap labor and availability of cement reduces the cost of canal construction.
2. Southward slope of the rivers makes construction of canals easier because water flows
southwards naturally.
3. Huge quantities of water from monsoon rainfall and melting of snow can be stored in
in reservoirs during summer season.
4. Irregular supply of water in the rivers is then regulated by construction of dams and
barrages.
5. Soft soil and level land of the Indus plain makes digging of canal easier than in the
rugged lands of Baluchistan.

Why do we construct the canals / Purpose?

1. To reduce pressure of floods.
2. To avoid wastage of water.
3. To provide water for irrigation.

Effectiveness of conventional methods of irrigation

1. Limited areas are irrigated due to less amount of water.
2. Require manual labour or animal power.
3. More time consuming.
4. Difficult to maintain, built and use. (Karez)
The Indus Water Treaty (1960)
In 1947, when Pakistan was created, the province of Punjab was divided. Part of
it was given to India and part to Pakistan. The head works at Madhupur on the
river Ravi and at Firozpur on the Sutlej were in India, but many of the canals
that branched off from them were irrigating agriculture lands of the newly
founded Pakistan.

In March 1948, India stopped the flow of water into Pakistani canals.
This was a serious matter. Pakistan took the issue up with India and
an interim agreement was arrived at on 4 May 1948. For
a permanent solution to the problem, negotiations started
in 1952 under the auspices of the
World Bank. In September 1960, an
agreement was signed which came to
be known as the Indus Water Treaty,
Pakistan received exclusive rights
over the three western Rivers, the
Indus, Jhelum and Chenab and India those
of the three eastern rivers, Ravi, Beas and
Sutlej.

There was to be a transitional period

ending on 31 march 1970, which was
extendable by three more years. during
this transitional period, India agreed to continue
supplying water to Pakistan. during the same period, it was expected that Pakistan would
construct two storage dams, five barrages, one gated siphon and eight link canals to divert
some of the water of the western rivers into the interfluves of the eastern rivers. the
construction cost was to be met with the help of aid from the united states, the United
Kingdom, west Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. a part of the cost was also to
be paid by India. the remaining expenditure was to be met by Pakistan. the replacement
works were entrusted to WAPDA.

WATER TABLE
Level of ground water is called water table. It is very easy to obtain ground water in foothills of
mountains and difficult in desert areas.

WATER LOGGING
The rise of the water table to the surface level is called water logging and the appearance of salty
patches is called salinity.
Reasons of Water Logging

• Water available all year.

• Crops given more water than they use.
• Water table rises to surface level.
• Fertilizers add to salts in water.
• Salts left behind / form a hard crust on surface. Soil becomes infertile / toxic.

SALINITY
Evaporation of water. Salt in irrigation water. Salts brought to surface. Unlined canals leak.

Measures (to overcome the problem of waterlogging and salinity)

• Lining the canals.
• Planting the trees in affected areas.
• Installing the tubewells.
• Education to improve farming methods.
 • Flushing out of salts by water from tubewells surface drains.
The tubewells pump out water at high speed and keep the water level down. If the pumped
water is fresh, it could be used for irrigation, e.g. in Punjab province. If pumped water is
saline it would be drained into river or lake, e.g. in sindh which is drained into Manchar
Lake.

Fig. 1, map shows the irrigated areas of Pakistan

• Government Schemes
Government of Pakistan have chalked out a reclamation project to solve the problem in 1959.
Name of the project was SCARP (Salinity control and Reclamation project). According to it
Indus Basin divided into different projects and tubewells were installed.

SCARP I.
It covers the areas of Rechna Doab including Faisalabad and Sheikhupura and Reclaimed
1.9 million acres.

SCARP II.
It includes the areas of Chaj Doab and reclaimed 2.27 million acres. 3311tubewells were
installed, 450 miles long lined canals and channels were built.

SCARP III.
It includes the areas of Jhang, Muzaffargarh and covers 1.28 million acres.1550 tubewells
were installed, 150 miles long lined canals and channels were built.
 SCARP IV and V.
It includes the areas from Khairpur to Ran Kutch in Sindh and 257 miles long lined canals
built to carry extra water to Manchar Lake.

DAM
A man-made structure built across a river in order to control the flow of water / use Water
for irrigation. Following are the types of dam.

BARRAGE
A structure built across a river in order to store water / to use water for irrigation.

DAM BARRAGE
Dam is constructed to store water Barrages are constructed to divert
water from rivers
Dams are constructed in mountainous Barrages are constructed in plain areas
areas
High construction cost Low construction cost as compared to
Dams
Siltation is difficult to solve Siltation is easy to solve as compared
to Dams
More evacuation of people for Less displacement of people during the
construction of Dam construction of barrages

TARBELA DAM (IWT)

The two storages dams which were to be built as part of the Indus Water Treaty were at
Tarbela and Mangla. The Tarbela Dam is located on the River Indus near Tarbela about 47
kilometres upstream from Atock. It is a multipurpose project designed to store 11.0 million
acre-feet of water and to generate 2.1 million kilowatts of electricity. It irrigates part of the
Potwar Plateau, but its main function is to supply water to the Chashma- Jhelum Link Canal
through which the Trimmu-Sidhnai-Mailsi-Bahawal Link Canal system is also fed.The
Tarbela Dam also feeds the Taunsa-Panjnad Link Canal. The Jinnah, Chashma, Taunsa, Gudu,
Sukkur and Kotri Barrages built on the River Indus are supplied with water from the Tarbela
Dam in winter when the flow is low. It is 143 metres high and has a reservoir area of 243
square km. It has nine huge gates to control the outflow of water. It is the world’s largest earth
filled dam and has two big spillways from the reservoir which was impressive feature.
MANGLA DAM (IWT)
The Mangla Dam which was completed in 1969, is located on the River Jhelum and has a
storage capacity of 5.5 million acre-feet. In future, it will be possible to raise its storage
capacity to 9.6 million acre-feet. It supplies water to canals irrigating the chaj and bari doabs.
The water is also used to generate electricity. Ultimately, three million kilowatts of electricity
will be generated from this dam. The Mangla lake, besides serving as the reservoir of the dam,
has also been developed as a fishing center and a tourist resort.

WARSAK DAM
Warsak a multipurpose project, designed to provide water for irrigation and for the generation of electricity. It is
located on the river Kabul about 32 kms. from Peshawar. Its installed capacity is 240MW.

Kurramgarhi Dam
It is located on the river Kurram at Kurramgarhi. The dam provides water to the Bannu civil
canals and has improved the irrigation of 530 square kms. of land.
Ghazi Barotha Project
A new hydel project which is located on the river Indus near Ghazi town. It is a large project with a capacity of
1450 MW. It is expected to be completed soon.

Purpose of the Reservoirs / Dams

1. The dam and reservoir is used for flood control, irrigation and generation of HEP.
2. The reservoir is an artificial lake which can be used for fishing, boating and recreation.
3. Water can be supplied to nearby towns for domestic purposes.
4. The dam also provides a road across the river.

Small Hydel Plants

There are a number of small hydel plants in Pakistan. Their installed capacity is 107 MW.
One of them is Renala, located in the Upper Bari Doab Canal and commissioned in1925, it is
the oldest hydel plant in Pakistan. Another is in Rasul, located between the Upper and Lower
Jhelum Canals. It was commissioned in 1952, after which import of electricity from India was
stopped.

Small Dams
Besides large irrigation projects, a number of small dams have also been built in the Western Highlands. They
irrigate relatively smaller areas and are located on narrow streams commanding small alluvial areas in hilly
regions. Some of these dams have been built by the WAPDA and others by the Small Dams Organisation set up
by the Agricultural Development Corporation. An example of a smaller dam is Rawal dam on the river Kurang.
Besides supplying water to Islamabad, it irrigates about 50 square kms. of land. The Khanpur dam on the river
Haro, which will irrigate 148 square kms. in the Abbotabad, Attock and Rawalpindi districts, has been recently
commissioned. Balochistan has a number of small dams. The Nari-Bolan Project uses the monsoon flow of the
Bolan River to irrigates 97 square kms. of the Sibi plains. The Narachip Project irrigates 13 square kms. of the
Loralai District. The Hab Dam in the Lasbela District, which was commissioned in 1982, is designed to irrigate
340 square kms. of land in and around Lasbela and Karachi.

Details of the five barrages and the gated siphon constructed under the Indus water Treaty
are given below:

Chashma Barrage (IWT)

Located on the River Indus and completed in 1970. Designed to divert one million cusecs
into the Chashma-Jhelum Link, thereby irrigating areas served by the Sidhnai-Mailsi-
Bahawal Link system and the Haveli and Rangpur canals.

Rasul Barrage (IWT)

Located on the River Jhelum and completed in 1968. Its flood discharge capacity is 850,000
cusecs. Supplies water to the Rasul Qadirabad Link canal and eventually to the Sulaimanki
Barrage on the Sutlej.

Marala Barrage (IWT)

Located on the River Chenab and completed in 1969. Its flood discharge capacity is 1.1 million
cusecs. Supplies water to the Ravi Link canal and the Upper Chenab Canal.

Qadirabad Barrage (IWT)

Located on the River Chenab and completed in 1970. Its discharge capacity is 0.9million
cusecs. Supplies water to the Qadirabad Balloki Link through the Rasul Qadirabad Link.

Mailsi Siphon (IWT)

A gated siphon located on the River Sutlej near Mailsi. Its purpose is to carry water on the
Sidhnai-Mailsi Link across the Sutlej into the Bahawal canal. The Sidhnai Barrage supplies
water to the Sidhnai-Mailsi Link canal.
Uses / Purpose of Barrages
1. Provide water for irrigation.
2. Reduce flood pressure.
3. Source of inland fishing.
4. Act as a bridge across the river with a road connecting both river banks.

Difference between Barrage and Dam

1. No generation of HEP on Barrages, Dams generate the HEP.
2. Barrages can be constructed in flat areas, Dams are constructed in mountainous areas.
3. Less construction cost on barrages and High construction cost on Dams.
4. Barrages are constructed in 1-2 years and dams are constructed 10-15 years.

Other Barrages
Jinnah Barrage
It is located on the river Indus. Two canals have been taken out from this barrage.
Namely Upper Thal Canal, South Thal Canal. It irrigates the areas of Mianwali
Muzaffargarh, Khushab, Bhakkar, Lieh and irrigates the 2200000 acres.

Taunsa Barrage
It is located on the river Indus. Two canals have been taken out from this barrage. Namely
Right and Left Bank canal and Taunsa Panjnad Link canal. These canals irrigates the areas of
Muzaffargarh, D.G.Khan, Rajanpur and drained 1900000 acres.

Guddu Barrage
It is located on the river Indus. Three canals have been taken out from this barrage. Namely Ghotki, Begari and
Desert Pat Feeder canals. These canals irrigates the areas of Sukkur, Mirpur, Rohri, Jacobabad and commanded
area is 11600 square kilometers.

Kotri / Ghulam Muhammad Barrage

It is located on the river Indus. Four canals have been taken out from this barrage. Namely
Kotri, Kalri, Penyari and Phuleli. These canals irrigates the areas of Badin, Sanghar,
Hyderabad, Mirpur, Nawabshah and irrigates11100 square kms. of land.

Sukkur Barrage
It is located on the river Indus. Seven canals have been taken out from this Barrage, namely NW canal, Rohri
canal, Nara, East Khairpur, West Khairpur, Rice, Dadu and irrigates 22000 square kms. These canals irrigates
the areas of Hyderabad, Sanghar, Larkana, Dadu, Nawabshah and Khairpur.

Link Canal
Canal which carries water from one canal to another.

Link canals (under the Indus Water Treaty)

1. Rasul Qadirabad
Carries water from the Rasul Barrage on the River Jhelum to the River Chenab.
2. Qadirabad-Balloki
An extension of the Rasul-Qadirabad Link by which water is transferred to Ravi.
3. Balloki-Sulaimanke
Connects the Ravi and Sutlej.
4. Trimmu-Sidhnai
Transfers water from the Trimmu Barrage to the Ravi.
5. Sidhnai-Mailsi
Takes the water transferred from the Trimmu Barrage to the Ravi into the Sutlej.

6. Mailsi-Bahawal
Supplies water to the Bahawal canal.
7. Chashma-Jhelum
Transfers water from the Chashma Barrage on the Indus to the Jhelum.

8. Taunsa-Panjnad
Transfers water from the Taunsa Barrage on the Indus to the Chenab to feed the canals in Punjab

Minor Irrigation System

1 .Karez
The karez is a water-tunnel or a narrow underground canal. It starts from the base of a hill
or mountain where ground water is present. It runs for 1 or 2 kms under ground (or
sometimes up to 10 kms). The karez irrigates orchards and agricultural fields. Throughout
its length, the karez is dotted with vertical shafts which are used to clean and repair it and
in certain areas they are used to extract water for domestic purposes. If the karez is
cleaned and repaired regularly, it can remain productive for a century or more. The
selection of a site for digging the karez is done by experienced village elders, while the
digging and repair is done by a group of laborers trained in this tradition.
The karez is usually privately owned by a group of people rather than a single person.
The owners share the water according to their percentage share in the karez. The main
problem of karez is that its water cannot be stopped from flowing. Further more their
maintenance is difficult and expensive. Karez irrigation is practiced only in Baluchistan.
Within this broad region, most of the karez are located in Zhob, Loralai, the Quetta-
Pishin and Mastung valleys and in favorable areas in Makran. However, karez irrigation
is gradually losing its importance.

Main Points (Karez)

• Underground canals / tunnel Uses ground water
• Vertical shafts for cleaning Irrigates oases
• Example – Quetta – Pishun valley, Mastung valley.

Photograph of Karez

Advantages
• Continuous supply
• Water from mountains put to good use does not evaporate
• Only water in the desert.

Disadvantages
• Less important
• Lack of government investment
• Less rain in Baluchistan.