Marala Headworks
| Waterway | Chenab River |
|---|---|
| Country | Pakistan |
| Maintained by | Punjab Irrigation Department |
| Operation | Hydraulic |
| First built | 1968 |
| Length | 1,366 meters (4,481 ft) |
| Fall | 15 feet (4.6 m) |
| Above sea level | 250 meters (820 ft) |
| Coordinates | 32°40′24″N 74°27′49″E / 32.6733°N 74.4636°ECoordinates: 32°40′24″N 74°27′49″E / 32.6733°N 74.4636°E |
Marala Headworks is a headworks situated on the River Chenab near the city of Gujrat and Sialkot in Punjab province of the Pakistan.
Characteristics
Marala Headworks is a large hydro engineering project and is used to control water flow and flood control in the River Chenab.
Geography
Chenab is a 1,086 km (675 mi) long river which originates from Chandra Taal in the Lahul & Spiti District of Himachal Pradesh in India where it is known as Chandrabhaga after the two tributaries Chandra and Bhaga join at Tandi in Lahul & Spiti district and acquires the name Chenab when it enters Jammu and Kashmir near Kishtwar in India. After cutting across the Pir Panjal Range, it enters the Sialkot District in the Pakistan. Here the Marala Barrage was built across the river in 1968 with a maximum discharge of 1.1 million ft³/s (31,000 m³/s). Two major water channels originate at the Marala headworks—the Marala-Ravi Link Canal and the Upper Chenab Canal. Proposals are under consideration to build Mangla Marala Link Canal to overcome any shortage of water in future.
Marala Headworks is also a picnic spot, a wildlife sanctuary and an unprotected wetland. Many people come here and enjoy the landscape and natural beauty. The Marala Remount Depot and Farms run by the Pakistan Army, is also nearby.