ISLAMABAD, Nov 21 (APP): The Punjab Irrigation Department has initiated a survey for geophysical assessment of damages to the irrigation infrastructure following severe flooding in recent months.
The embankments and spurs along the three major rivers of the province; Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej, which faced some of the most severe flooding in August and September this year, are being surveyed.
“We are conducting a structural audit of these embankments to scientifically assess their vulnerability. Initially, the embankments and spurs on the Chenab River, from Trimmu Headworks to Punjnad, have been surveyed,” Dr. Ghulam Zakir Hassan Sial, Director of Irrigation Research Institute (IRI), Punjab, told Wealth Pakistan.
Dr. Sial said that IRI teams are carrying out physical surveys using electrical resistivity and tomography techniques to examine the geophysical condition of the structures.
He said that embankments along Marala, Khanki, Qadirabad, and Chiniot will also be surveyed by dedicated field teams.
Similarly, the department is assessing embankments along the Ravi River, with the key location at Shahdara near Lahore already surveyed.
The embankments along Balloki and Sidhnai headworks are also scheduled for inspection under the ongoing geophysical assessment plan.
In the second phase, embankments along major headworks of the Sutlej River — stretching from Ganda Singhwala to Islam Headworks — will be examined as part of the broader vulnerability review.
Dr. Sial said based on the survey results, recommendations will be submitted to the Punjab government to strengthen these structures ahead of any future floods.
He said a strategy would also be prepared to help minimize damage during future flooding events. He expressed hope that fortifying spurs and embankments would significantly reduce human and crop losses in the years ahead.
Agriculture, the backbone of Punjab’s economy, relies heavily on surface water conveyed through an extensive canal network covering 36,862 kilometers.
This includes around 6,500 kilometers of main and branch canals and 31,050 kilometers of distributaries and minors, collectively forming one of the region’s largest irrigation systems.
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is also extending technical support to the Punjab Irrigation Department as it works to rehabilitate the province’s water infrastructure following the recent flood damage.
IWMI spokesperson Amjad Jamal told Wealth Pakistan that the institute, under the Water Resource Accountability in Pakistan (WRAP) program, is collaborating with the provincial department to improve water resource management and enhance climate resilience at provincial and district levels.
“We are currently working with the Punjab Irrigation Department to formulate a strategy for the efficient use of water for agriculture in the post-flood context,” he told Wealth Pakistan.
He said IWMI, headquartered in Sri Lanka, had recently organized consultative workshops to engage key stakeholders.
He noted that the institute was also providing training on tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and soil moisture sensors to help improve efficiency and sustainability in water management.
He expressed hope that the collaboration would support the promotion of water stewardship in Pakistan, similar to other water-stressed regions around the world.