- Survey begins on Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej after severe August–September floods
- Trimmu–Punjnad stretch assessed with Marala-Khanki, Qadirabad and Chiniot next in line
- Shahdara, Balloki, Sidhnai inspections underway on Ravi system while Sutlej headworks to be examined in second-phase vulnerability review
ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Irrigation Department has launched a comprehensive geophysical survey to assess the extent of damage to the province’s irrigation infrastructure after the severe flooding of recent months, marking the first coordinated structural audit of major river embankments in the post-flood phase.
The initiative, triggered by the intense August–September floods along the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers, aims to scientifically identify vulnerable points across Punjab’s river system to guide urgent rehabilitation and long-term resilience planning.
The embankments and spurs along the three major rivers, which absorbed some of the worst flooding this year, are currently under detailed examination. Officials say the assessment will help determine the structural soundness of the river training works and inform the government’s strategy for strengthening flood defences ahead of future extreme weather events.
“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 the Irrigation Research Institute (IRI), Punjab, told Wealth Pakistan.
He said IRI teams are carrying out physical surveys using electrical resistivity and tomography techniques, allowing them to analyse the geophysical condition of the structures beyond what visual inspections can reveal.
Dr. Sial added that embankments along Marala, Khanki, Qadirabad, and Chiniot would also be surveyed by dedicated field teams in the coming weeks as part of the ongoing audit.
A parallel assessment is underway along the Ravi River, where the key location at Shahdara near Lahore has already been inspected. Embankments along Balloki and Sidhnai headworks are also scheduled for inspection under the current geophysical assessment plan.
In the second phase, the department will examine embankments along major headworks of the Sutlej River—stretching from Ganda Singhwala to Islam Headworks—as part of the broader vulnerability review.
Dr. Sial said that once the surveys are completed, the findings and recommendations would be submitted to the Punjab government to enable targeted strengthening of the structures. He said a resilience strategy would also be formulated to help minimize losses during future flooding cycles.
He expressed hope that a systematic reinforcement of spurs and embankments would significantly reduce human casualties and crop losses in the years ahead, especially in flood-prone districts.
Agriculture—described as the backbone of Punjab’s economy—depends overwhelmingly on surface water delivered through an extensive canal network stretching 36,862 kilometers. This includes approximately 6,500 kilometers of main and branch canals and 31,050 kilometers of distributaries and minors, forming one of the largest irrigation systems in the region.
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is also providing technical support to the Punjab Irrigation Department as it works to rehabilitate the province’s water infrastructure in the aftermath of the floods.
IWMI spokesperson Amjad Jamal told Wealth Pakistan that under the Water Resource Accountability in Pakistan (WRAP) program, the institute is collaborating with the provincial department to enhance water resource management and strengthen climate resilience at both 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 said.
He added that IWMI, headquartered in Sri Lanka, had recently organized consultative workshops to engage key stakeholders, bringing together officials, researchers, and water managers for coordinated planning.
Jamal noted that the institute is also providing training in modern tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and soil moisture sensors—technologies increasingly central to efficient, data-driven water management.
He expressed hope that IWMI’s collaboration with Punjab would help advance water stewardship practices in Pakistan, similar to those adopted in other water-stressed regions around the world.
