Red alert: Historical Trimmu under threat

FAISALABAD:

A red alert has been issued for Trimmu Headworks, constructed about 25 kilometres away from Jhang city in 1937. The historical headworks is struggling to cope with the unprecedented rush of water from the Chenab and Jhelum rivers.

Nearly 200 killomoters of fertile land lies between and on both sides of the Chenab and west of the Jhelum in Jhang district. Both the rivers enter Jhang on the northeast and north and travel about 139 and 69 kilometres respectively to the point of confluence at Trimmu Headworks. At this point, the Chenab River runs another 25 kilometres before it enters the districts of Khanewal and Multan. Thus Jhang is divided into two parallel strips – the upper strip is roughly 115 km and the lower strip is 36 km in length.

The British engineers designed Trimmu Headworks in order to make the land here fertile through the canal system. Three main canals including Havaili Main Line, Trimmu Sadhnai Link and Rangpur Canal originate from here.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2014