Khanki Barrage

Introduction
Khanki Headworks is a headworks situated on the River Chenab in Gujranwala
District of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It was constructed in 1889 and is considered to be
the oldest headworks in Pakistan.
Khanki Headworks is used for irrigation and flood control. It is also used to provide water to
tributaries such as the Lower Chenab Canal,[1] which originates from Khanki Headworks.
Khanki controls water distribution over 3 million acres (12,000 km) of agricultural lands by
one main distributary, the Lower Chenab Canal, and 59 minor distributaries.

Overview

The weir was constructed during 1889- 1892

It was the first weir in Punjab founded on alluvial sandy bed of river

It was designed and constructed under conditions of extreme economy

The weir got repeatedly damaged in portions and had to be remodeled extensively
during 1919- 1920 and 1933- 1935

The weir originally was a shuttered type weir comprising 8 spans of 500 ft each, left
undersluices (12 No. 20 ft each) and canal head regulator (12 spans of 24.5 ft each)

With the extensive remodeling during 1933- 35, the weir now comprises (left to
right):
o Left Undersluises (12 No. 20 ft. each)
o Three weir bays (1423 ft)
o Central undersluices (18 No. 20 ft each)
o Three weir bays (1545.75 ft)
o Right Undersluices (18 No. 20 ft each)

Total width between abutments

Waterway

4386 ft
3928.75 ft

Head Regulator of
Lower Chenab Canal

Main Weir of
Khanki Barrage

Salient Features of Khanki Barrage

Off- take (lower chenab canal)
Total
Water
Length (Canal Miles)
Year of Length/ Des. Q
Location
Allowance
Des.
Q
Const. Clear
(cfs)
CCA (ma)
(cfs/1000
(cfs) Main Branch Distys. Total
WW
acres)
Sixteen
3.031
(16) Km
(Dsitt.
Down
Gujranwala
stream of
Hafizabad,
Alexandra
4,386/
2.84(P)
1892
800000
Shiekhpura, 11,600 40
414
2,399 2,853
railway
3,929
5.15(NP)
Nankana,
bridge,
Faisalabad,
near WZD,
Jhang &
Distt.
T.T.Singh)
GWA

New Khanki Barrage

Reasons for Construction
Replacement of existing headworks with a new barrage 900 feet downstream is proposed on
the following basis:

Severe aging effect;

Capacity constraint;
Lack of effective control on river regulation;
Inefficient and insufficient physical communication between the two banks;
Mixture of several out dated design & construction techniques;
dismantling & rebuilding operation if existing structure remodeled;
Gates installation impossible in existing weir; and

Inadequacy of existing weir for automation.

Recommendations for New Barrage

i.

A new modern barrage, 900 ft downstream of existing weir and incorporating an AR

Bridge.

ii.

New head regulator of L.C.C.

iii.

Re-aligned head reach of L.C.C originating from new head regulator and joining
existing LCC at RD 5.

iv.

Improvement of roads on both river banks, buildings and other infrastructure.

v.

Rehabilitation of River Training works.

Salient Features of New Barrage

Main weir

55 bays @ 60 ft. each

Undersluices

10 bays @ 60 ft.

each

Silt excluder in first two bays of left undersluice

8 tunnels

LCC head regulator

6 bays @ 30 ft. each

Bridge on main barrage

4384 ft.

Bridge on head regulator

215 ft.

Radial gates for barrage

65 Nos (60 ft wide

each)

Radial gates for LCC head regulator

6 Nos (30 ft wide

each)

Two fish ladders (left and right)

215 ft.

Two divide walls (left and right)

342 ft.

Two guide banks (left and right)

1737 ft.

Instrumentation
o Vibrating wire electronic piezometers

96 Nos.

o Stand pipe piezometers

12 Nos.

New canal link for connection with existing L.C.C

5000 ft.

Improvement of existing approach roads

35 Km

Sloping studs on left side downstream of new barrage

04 Nos.

Construction of New Khanki Barrage