User talk:Awahabb

PAKISTAN INLAND WATERWAYS TRANSPORT

Rivers were the chief means of transportation in ancient times. That is why most of the ancient cities grew up along the courses and at the junctions of rivers.

Early History The region around the Indus river began to show visible increase in both the length and the frequency of maritime voyages by 3000 BCE. Optimum conditions for viable long-distance voyages existed in this region by 2900 BCE. Mesopotamian inscriptions indicate that Indian traders from the Indus valley—carrying copper, hardwoods, ivory, pearls, carnelian, and gold—were active in Mesopotamia during the reign of Sargon of Akkad (ca. 2300 BCE). The world's first dock at Lothal (2400 BCE) was located away from the main current to avoid deposition of silt. Modern oceanographers have observed that the Harappans must have possessed great knowledge relating to tides in order to build such a dock on the ever-shifting course of the Sabarmati, as well as exemplary hydrography and maritime engineering. This was the earliest known dock found in the world, equipped to berth and service ships. It is speculated that Lothal engineers studied tidal movements, and their effects on brick-built structures, since the walls are of kiln-burnt bricks. This knowledge also enabled them to select Lothal's location in the first place, as the Gulf of Khambhat has the highest tidal amplitude and ships can be sluiced through flow tides in the river estuary. The engineers built a trapezoidal structure, with north-south arms of average 21.8 metres (71.5 ft), and east-west arms of 37 metres (121 ft).

Today, only cheap, bulky and non-perishable goods are carried by rivers.

Rivers of Pakistan Rivers are probably the cheapest means of transportation. Expenses such as those involved in the building of roads and railway tracks are avoided as the running cost of boats is low. Pakistan being an agro based country has one of the biggest river irrigation system approx 30,000 KM which is based on different canals, streams etc. the major river which is supply to all other water outlets is River Indus. These Canals system is even bigger than EC rivers. The Indus System of Rivers comprises three Western Rivers the Indus, the Jhelum and Chenab and three Eastern Rivers - the Sutlej, the Beas and the Ravi. In mountainous regions of our country ,timber wood is transported by means of rivers. There is insufficient water in our rivers all the year round for large boats to use them easily. The Indus carries sufficient water and is navigable from Attack to its delta which is about a distance of 960 miles. Different kinds of Items such as timber, grains, stones etc., are transported from one place to another with the help of small boats.

Future of IWT in Pakistan

Waterways are the oldest means of transport but the river transport is not in frequent use in Pakistan due to the uncertain nature of rivers. The water level of rivers keep falling and rising in different seasons, which make it difficult to resort to the river transport. The Federal Government is adopting measures to improve the river transport in the country. The river transport, in view of the economic conditions of Pakistan, can be highly useful for promoting trade inside the country.

Under these conditions in Pakistan, only small-scale river transportation is possible. for limited period of time during the year, at certain points, steamers and boats are used, mostly in river Indus, for small distance traveling and goods forwarding. There is 30,000 kilometers of rivers and perennial canal network in Pakistan, which offers opportunity of establishing economical water transport system in the country. Establishment of Inland water transport will reduce fuel consumption to about 8 to 10 times and 3 to 4 times less than the rail transport. Planning Commission is launching a full-scale Inland Water Transport Project to link-canals in Punjab and Sindh and on many sections of Indus River Inland waterway has to be develop specially for Thar Coal Project and other bulk cargo movement. This will not only provide another means of Goods transport other then Rail & Road which are more frequently used but will be economical cheap and lesser emission of CO2 gases

Possible Routes •	from Port Bin Qasim/Arabian Sea to Kalabagh / Chashma •	Chashma Lake excellent for inland port on Indus. •	Transit traffic of China and CIS available for viable.