A controversy over the Kacchi Canal route has cropped up at the cost of construction and its maintenance. Of the five alternatives the first one has been selected for implementation.

It involves abstraction of water at Tunnsa Barrage across the Indus river. The water would be abstracted through re-modelling of the D.G. and the Dajal canals in Punjab. Dajal branch would be extended and taken to higher level in Balochistan with 323 canal miles of the conveyance system. The total cost has been estimated at Rs28 billion with an area of 713,000 acres. Punjab peasantry is expected to share about 70 per cent of water, while the Balochistan will get 30 per cent. The best alternative, it is believed is water abstraction from the existing points of Guddu and Sukkur barrages across the river Indus in Sindh. This could be possible by further re-modelling of the Pat Feeder and the Kirthar canals already drawing water from Guddu and Sukkur barrages for canal irrigated areas of Balochistan adjacent to Sindh. Such a step would partially increase the cropping intensity of the existing command areas. Moreover, more area would be brought under cultivation on the right side of the Pat Feeder canal in higher part of Kacchi plain near Dera Murad Jamali.

From Dera Murad Jamali point, water could be pumped at RD 505 costing more than Rs10 billion, and benefit only 513,000 acres in Balochistan. The current estimated expenditure of Rs28 billion would benefit 713,000 acres both in Balochistan and Punjab.

Other alternatives: Three other alternatives for the Kacchi Canal have been discarded due to silt deposit, heavy pumping and heavy investment. One, water abstraction from Guddu Barrage through desert Pat Feeder and then Pat Feeder canal running through the higher level of Kacchi plain up to Badra Nullah near Nutal. Two, pumping at Guddu barrage into higher level canal would command the area by gravity. It would involve heavy pumping unit up to 70 feet, causing very high initial cost, plus operation and maintenance of the canal. Three, again heavy investment in the beginning as well as high maintenance and operation cost could be involved in the construction of new separate Kacchi canal. Such canal could take off from Tunnsa barrage, running parallel to the existing Punjab canal system, taking shape of the Kacchi canal in Balochistan. Option one: The Kacchi canal would have important components: most modern head regulator at Tunnsa barrage; 500km main canal carrying a flow of about 6000 cusecs with computerized distribution system, ensuring equitable share of irrigation water for the cultivators community of Punjab and Balochistan.

At present, the province has twin-canal chain the Pat Feeder and Kirthar drawn from Guddu and Sukkur barrages across river Indus in Sindh. Kacchi would be third to provide irrigation water. The catchment area of Kacchi plain is drained by seven rivers: Mula, Sukleji, Bolan, Nari, Chakkar, Lahri and Ghatter. Besides these rivers, there are hill torrents and streams debauching on the plain. With the construction of canal, flood flows from the river Indus and the unutilized share of Balochistan from the perennial flows would be put to most judicious use for food and cash crops production as per water apportionment accord, March 1991. Under the Indus Water Agreement, signed amongst the four provinces, Balochistan is entitled to about 2.5 MAF of water. This water would be out of balance river supplies (flood flow and future storage) based on the proposed 10 daily allocation. For best use of the Indus flood supplies, Kacchi canal has been designed and existing twin-canal system of Pat Feeder and Kirthar canals expanded.

Canal areas: The canal irrigated areas in subtropical low lands of eastern Balochistan with assured irrigation, have potential to become agrarian frontier of Pakistan. These areas irrigated by Kirthar and Pat Feeder canals have become food basket of Balochistan with the production of cash and food crops: cotton, rice, sugarcane, oilseeds, wheat, maize, barley, jawar, vegetable and fruits. With the completion of Kacchi canal, cropping intensity is expected to increase from the existing 2 to 46 per cent in the Kacchi plain under the first phase. Under the second and final phase, cropping intensity would increase manifold. Increase in food and cash crops production, would not only stimulate agro-based industries but would also give greater fillip to livestock, poultry production and poverty alleviation.

Whatever is the controversy, Kacchi canal is designed and destined to provide irrigation water for 713,000 acres the year round in the Punjab and Balochistan making Pakistan self-fficient in several essential commodities.