Taunsa Barrage

Pakistan / Punjab / Dera Din Panah /
The Taunsa Barrage on the River Indus was completed in 1958 to divert water to two large areas on the left and right banks of the river making irrigated agriculture possible for about 1.18 Mha of this arid landscape in Punjab Province.
Indus River waters are diverted into the Dera Ghazi Khan (D. G. Khan) canal that runs for over a hundred miles north-south along the Indus River right bank irrigating about 400,000 ha, and into the Muzaffargarh canal along the Indus River left bank to irrigate about 385,000 ha. Water is also diverted at Taunsa through the Taunsa-Punjnad (T.P.) Link canal to supplement the water supply for an additional 394,000 ha land along the lower reaches of the Chenab River. The Taunsa Barrage has helped some 6 million Pakistanis, ranging from rich landholders to poor subsistence farmers to make a living growing wheat and cotton on an otherwise bone-dry plain.
In addition to regulating the waters of the Indus River, the barrage also carries a critical road link, a gas and oil pipeline, and telecom links across the river. This makes the Taunsa structure a major conduit between Southern Punjab and the provinces to the south (Sindh) and west (Baluchistan).
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   30°30'49"N   70°50'58"E

Comments

  • The Taunsa Barrage on the River Indus was completed in 1958 to divert water to two large areas on the left and right banks of the river making irrigated agriculture possible for about 1.18 Mha of this arid landscape in Punjab Province. Indus River waters are diverted into the Dera Ghazi Khan (D. G. Khan) canal that runs for over a hundred miles north-south along the Indus River right bank irrigating about 400,000 ha, and into the Muzaffargarh canal along the Indus River left bank to irrigate about 385,000 ha. Water is also diverted at Taunsa through the Taunsa-Punjnad (T.P.) Link canal to supplement the water supply for an additional 394,000 ha land along the lower reaches of the Chenab River. The Taunsa Barrage has helped some 6 million Pakistanis, ranging from rich landholders to poor subsistence farmers to make a living growing wheat and cotton on an otherwise bone-dry plain. In addition to regulating the waters of the Indus River, the barrage also carries a critical road link, a gas and oil pipeline, and telecom links across the river. This makes the Taunsa structure a major conduit between Southern Punjab and the provinces to the south (Sindh) and west (Baluchistan)
  • just wanting to add something. it has the name Taunsa barriage but interestingly no part of Taunsa Tehsil is irrigated by this barrage, and also its located in Teh. Kot Addu Of Distt Muzaffargarh. The area of Teh.Taunsa SHareef ends just before the start of the barrage. In addition to Road link and Gas pipeline it also has Railway line connecting Punjab and Balochistan.
  • What is the status of silting and which designs are used for silt ejection in the canals ?
This article was last modified 5 years ago