The Vision of the Karachi-Sutlej Link Canal

Mr. Muhammad Ali, FCCA-ACA, GM Azgard 9 Limited

With its rich but challenging landscape, Pakistan has long struggled with water scarcity, extreme weather, and limited economic opportunities in desert regions. The proposed Karachi-Sutlej Canal Project envisions a 1,015 km canal starting from the Karachi Sea, and extending to the Sutlej River. This ambitious initiative aims to enhance water availability, provide new economic opportunities, strengthen security, and moderate climate conditions in Pakistan’s southern regions.

The canal is proposed to be 15-20 feet deep and around 150-200 feet wide, extending through Sindh and southern Punjab. This canal would be accompanied by multiple barrages designed to regulate water flow, enabling controlled management of both freshwater and seawater.

The project aims to create a viable environment for fisheries by introducing seawater into the canal. The Karachi-Sutlej Link Canal project includes provisions for regular naval patrolling, addressing security concerns such as illegal border crossings and smuggling activities. 

In addition to fisheries, the canal is envisioned to facilitate the movement of industrial and commercial cargo. By connecting the southern and northern regions of Pakistan, it provides a supplementary transport route that is especially valuable during periods of road or port blockages. This alternative route would ensure an uninterrupted supply chain for essential goods, mitigating the risk of economic slowdowns during lockdowns or adverse weather.

Water bodies have a known cooling effect, and this canal may help reduce the temperature spikes often seen in desert climates, providing some relief to the population during peak summer months.

The Karachi-Sutlej Link Canal is designed to integrate with Pakistan’s extensive irrigation and river systems, which is vital for effective water management in a country reliant on agriculture. During the monsoon season, excess river water would be redirected into the canal by controlling barrages, thereby mitigating flood risks and storing surplus water.  The seawater streams will be first eliminated from the canal by blocking the 1st barrage constructed at sea. After the blockage, the inflows of this monsoon water along with the excessive river water flows from the Indian side will be stored in this canal. This stored water could later be channeled back into rivers and irrigation networks, ensuring that water is available for agriculture during dry periods. By serving as a massive reservoir, the canal offers a dual-purpose solution for both flood prevention and drought resilience.

Conclusion

The Karachi-Sutlej Link Canal Project represents a groundbreaking vision for Pakistan, with the potential to reshape the country’s economic, environmental, and security landscape, ensuring water availability for agriculture and moderating extreme weather,

For the last many years, we have witnessed the failure of PDMA; the disaster management organization. I am of the view that PDMA should be dissolved and the proceeds against disposal of assets used to pay off terminal benefits to its employees and give the task of flood management to NESPAK until the Canal is operational.