The Marala–Ravi Link Canal (MRL canal) is a canal in Pakistani Punjab that flows from the Marala Headworks on the Chenab River near Sialkot to the Ravi river. It was constructed in 1956 to transfer water from Chenab to Ravi as well as to irrigate about 60,000 hectares of land in the Sialkot and Gurjanwala districts.[1][2] It is 100 kilometres (62 mi) long and has a capacity 22,000 cubic feet per second (620 m3/s).[3]
The banks of the canal have no fencing and are in dilapidated condition[4] as they have not been repaired since its construction in 1954.[5] The banks were breached in 2014 floods.[6]
During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the Indian forces strategised to reach up to the MRL canal, driving a wedge between Sialkot and Lahore. But, the Pakistani forces fought them off, resulting in a stalemate.[7]
During initial filling of Baglihar Dam in 2008, the canal was closed allegedly due to the non-availability of water in Chenab.[8][9] Indian commentators dispute the claim.[10]
^Ramaswamy R. Iyer, Pakistan: water on the boil again, The Hindu, 26 July 2011. "The filling was completed well within the prescribed period; there was no deviation in that respect. The shortfall with reference to the prescribed minimum flow at Merala [Marala] (of which there are different estimates by India and Pakistan, and no jointly observed figure) was only for a few hours — less than a day — and could not possibly have caused serious harm."
External links
Marala–Ravi link canal marked on OpenStreetMap: 1, 2
