MINI PROJECT

Subject: Irrigation Engg

Submitted To: Engr.Ateeq-Ur-Rauf
Submitted by: Group members
 ASIM KHAN
 ANWAR ZAIB
 TAUQEER
 WAJID ALI
 SAJJAD AHMAD
Semester: 8th
Date: “17-05-2016”
REPORT ON AMANDARA HEADWORK

When the British forces occupied some part of Malakand they started work on the Amandara
headworks to divert the Swat River through a tunnel to irrigate the plains of Mardan and
Charsadda.

Amandarra Headworks is a dam and is located in KPK, Pakistan. The estimate terrain elevation
above sea level is 664 metres.

Salient Features:
Amandara Headwork was designed by Benton in early Ninety.
To meet the requirements of irrigation in Malakand valley and district Mardan and Swabi, an
irrigation scheme was planned by the British Government in 1903. The plan consists of
headwork at Amandara near Batkhela on River upper Swat, unlined irrigation channel 7.2 Km
long up to Malakand Pass and excavation of 17.5 Ft dia, 3.4 Km long tunnel underneath of
Malakand Pass. A network of irrigation canals including Abazi and Machai branches and their
distributaries were also part of the project. The project started in 1907 and completed in 1914.
In 1930, a hydropower project was planned by British Government, at Jabban, 10 Km of Dargai
town Malakand Agency. For this purpose a free power tunnel called Barkat tunnel was
excavated on the right side of the outlet regulator of Benton tunnel. The length of tunnel is 0.97
Km and its diameter is about 14 feet. The discharge capacity of Barkit tunnel is 1200 cusecs.
Jabban hydro power projects was started in 1934 and completed in 1937.

After successful commissioning and operation of Jabban Power Station, an idea was proposed
that if the water from the Tail Race of Jabban Power Station is led to Dargai, sufficient head
could be produced large enough to produce electric power of 20 MW. To give practical shape to
this idea, in 1948 another power projects was planned at Dargai Malakand Agency which
completed in 1952
BENTON TUNNEL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:-

This tunnel was designed by Benton that’s why it is famous with the name of Benton tunnel.
The historic Benton Tunnel was completed in 1918. The British government
constructed the tunnel for irrigation of the arid and waste lands apart from running the power
house at jabban.  
Later after partition, the same water was utilized to also run the Dargai power house. A 6.75
kilometer long pitched channel, commencing 2300 meter downstream of the Benton Tunnel,
was constructed parallel to the nullah to lead the water to trifurcate at Dargai background:
Before the British occupation, the Sam Ranizai area was a dry and arid land. The flow of the
River Swat was changed as a result of the tunnel. Surplus water was directed towards the
Qalangi area via Trai-Totakan while a portion of the water was diverted towards the Malakand
Pass, which was then made to go through that tunnel.

IMPORTANCE:-

. Owing to scarcity of water for irrigation, the people had poor and negligible crops. But after
the British occupied the land, survey was conducted and the Benton Tunnel through the
Malakand hill towards Jabban was constructed.
At the end of the outer edge of the water tunnel, besides running Jabban Hydro-Electric Project,
a canal was also taken towards Dargai, which started irrigating thousands of land of the Sam
Ranizai. The same water was further taken along the hillside towards Dargai where another
hydro-electric project was built at the bottom of the hill. 
Due to increase in irrigation water requirements, the Amandara Head Works was upgraded
under the Swabi SCARP and with the technical assistance of Chinese Geo-corporation, an
auxiliary tunnel was also constructed parallel to the existing Benton Tunnel which carries an
increased design discharge of 51 cusecs. This upgradation has also helped in controlling water
leakage and thus enabling the authorities to get sufficient water for the power houses to run.
The canal that ensued from the scheme proved very beneficial for the Sam Ranizai. The barren
land mass was converted into a fertile irrigated land where different kinds of crops, fruits and
vegetables started to grow. The people became very rich and the climate was greatly altered.
Before the said water tunnel the area of Malakand Khas was a hot and dry place but after
construction of the tunnel and passage of water, the climate abruptly changed. Now in winter
season cold winds blew throughout the season while at the bottom of the Malakand Pass the
weather condition remain normal. 
The people of Malakand are very hardworking and live mostly on agriculture. Water flows in
abundance. Most of the people have established self-irrigation schemes without any assistance
from the government. The average rainfall in Malakand is not enough to meet the irrigation
requirements of the people. Therefore, they have set up tube wells and other machines for
artificial irrigation of their lands. 
The land of Malakand as compared to other areas, is very fertile. Rice is the principal crop of
Malakand. In Khareef rice, maize, millet and sugarcane are grown in abundance while in Rabi
the main crops are beat, wheat, barely, grain and tobacco. 
The land of Malakand abounds in greenery and has abundance of orchards where the main fruits
grown are oranges, kinos (mandens), grapes, loquats, pears and apricots. These fruits are
supplied to the rest of the country in commercial quantity. Oranges (Malta) of Palai are very
famous all over the country and tourists who visit Malakand in winter season never miss a
chance to take a basket of the Palai oranges back home. 
Industrially, Malakand is lagging behind. Successive governments have paid only lip services to
the industrialization of this area. There are no signs of factories in Swat Ranizai. In Sam
Ranizai, however, some factories were set up but later many of them were closed. Two ghee
mills at Dargai, a motorcycle assembling plant and a leather unit at Sakhakot were established
and productions started but later except the Dargai ghee mills, very unfortunately, the other two
factories were shifted to Punjab.

TODAY UTILIZATION

The gigantic Malakand-III Hydro Power Project is a venture of the Sarhad

Hydel Development Organization (SHYDO). It produces 81 megawatts of electricity and the
estimated cost was of 106.15 million US dollars.  
The power generated from the Malakand-III Hydro Project is supplied to industrial units within
the project area as well as the industrial estates of the province. This project is proposed to be
operated in conjunction with the existing power houses of Jabban and Dargai keeping in view
the variation in water availability in the Swat River.
Later after partition, the same water was utilized to also run the Dargai power house. A 6.75
kilometers long pitched channel, commencing 2300 meter downstream of the Benton Tunnel,
was constructed parallel to the nullah to lead the water to trifurcate at Dargai. 
The water is trifurcated into two irrigation branches. Abazai branch running in a westerly and
Machai branch in easterly direction. Both the power plants at Jabban and Dargai are set up each
between the outlet of the Benton Tunnel and the trifurcator. This productive tunnel is a great
achievement of the British government in Malakand.
Due to increase in irrigation water requirements, the Amandara Head Works was upgraded
under the Swabi SCARP and with the technical assistance of Chinese Geo-corporation, an
auxiliary tunnel was also constructed parallel to the existing Benton Tunnel which carries an
increased design discharge of 51 cusecs. This upgradation has also helped in controlling water
leakage and thus enabling the authorities to get sufficient water for the power houses to run the
turbine.