ISLAMABAD, Feb 24 (APP): The Jalalpur Irrigation Project — commonly known as the Jalalpur Canal — is set for completion by December 2027, benefiting around 384,000 people across 80 villages in the Jehlum and Khushab districts.
The project aims to divert water from the Jhelum River to irrigate barren lands in the tehsils of Pind Dadan Khan and Khushab. Located along the right bank of the Jhelum River, the Jalalpur Canal is a non-perennial (seasonal) irrigation system that will operate from April to October.
The project comprises an intake structure, a 117-kilometre main canal, 23 distributaries, and 10 minor canals with a combined network stretching 210 kilometres. It will also include 485 tertiary-level watercourses and associated infrastructure.
“The waters in the canal will irrigate 174,000 acres in the districts of Jhelum and Khushab, lying in the arid zone,” said Engr Waheed Ashraf, Project Director of the Jalalpur Irrigation Project.
Talking to Wealth Pakistan, he said the foundation stone of the project was laid in December 2019. Once operational, it is expected to increase Kharif crop intensity by 50 percent. The Asian Development Bank is financing the project, which officials say will significantly enhance agricultural productivity in the region.
The concept of the Jalalpur Canal dates back to 1898. During the construction of the Rasul Barrage between 1898 and 1901, the right divide wall was constructed with provisions for a future canal. Similar provisions were maintained during the barrage’s reconstruction in 1967 under the Indus Waters Treaty framework.
Infrastructure planning also incorporated the canal during the construction of the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, with a crossing provided near the Lillah Interchange.
A feasibility study was first conducted in 1992-93 and later updated in 2010. A fresh feasibility assessment took place between March 2014 and November 2015, followed by a topographic survey in 2016.
Water experts believe the canal will bring about a transformative change to the region. Beyond supplying surface water for irrigation, it is expected to improve groundwater quality, which is currently brackish due to the area’s proximity to the Salt Range.
“The level of water will rise because of the canal and the area will become fertile,” said Dr Ghulam Zakir Hassan Sial, Director of the Irrigation Research Institute (IRI), Punjab. He noted that the canal water would help recharge and improve the aquifer, which is presently saline.
Pind Dadan Khan tehsil, located between the Salt Range and the Jhelum River, has long suffered from salinity and brackish flash floods flowing down from the salt-rich hills. High concentrations of natural salts have damaged thousands of acres of farmland, while residents also face acute drinking water shortages due to saline subsoil water.
Experts say the availability of surface water will not only boost agricultural output but also significantly improve living conditions for the local population. By converting a rain-dependent region into an irrigated agricultural zone, the Jalalpur Canal is poised to play a pivotal role in the socio-economic uplift of the area.