page_title: Punjab Irrigation Department
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Punjab Irrigation Department / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Balloki-Sulemanki Link Canal gets water from River Ravi at Balloki and feeds it into River Sutlej at Sulemanki
context_page_description: Punjab Irrigation Department, Pakistan, is a provincial irrigation department in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Punjab Irrigation Department irrigates 21 million acres of agricultural land in Punjab. Muhammad Mohsin Leghari, an MPA from Rajanpur, is the Minister for Irrigation. Secretary Irrigation to the government of the Punjab is the administrative head of the department.
context_section_description: The Indus Basin has a long history of irrigation dating back to 4000 year old Indus valley civilization in Harrapa and Mohenjodaro settlements. At the time, irrigation in the region was done mainly through inundation canals.  The history of modern Punjab Irrigation Department can be traced back to the establishment of 5 major canals in the region in early 20th century when the British built Lower Chenab Canal, Lower Jhelum Canal, Upper Jhelum Canal, Upper Chenab Canal and Lower Bari Doab Canal.
  The Indus Waters Treaty which was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 was a major watershed in the history of development of irrigation infrastructure in the province. The treaty gave the rights of the three eastern rivers of the Indus basin namely Ravi, Sutlej and Beas to India and thus necessitated the construction of inter river link canals to haul water from Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to the eastern parts of the province. It was after this treaty that Pakistan built Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs to store monsoon water for winter months to continue to irrigate the fields year round.   
  The second major development post independence in the history of irrigation in Punjab was 1991 Water Accord between all the four provinces of Pakistan. This accord gave Punjab province 55.94 million acre feet of water share annually for its irrigation and drinking usages. It is with this share that the Punjab Irrigation Department caters to its 21 million acres of command area in the province.
caption: Balloki Sulemanki Link Canal Head Regulator
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