5. Discussion and conclusion

The spate-irrigated area focused in this chapter has the diversified physiography, with mountains on the west and River Indus on the east. The area is distinguished in terms of climate, land and water resources. The climate varies from very hot summer temperature ranging from 35 to 45°C to cold winter with temperature of 5–15°C. The district was previously under the spate irrigation and has the landform of piedmont, with vast land. After the construction of gravity canal from the Indus River known as Chashma Right Bank canal, more than half of the area become irrigated in the downstream. The western part still remains part of the spate irrigation. With the recent development, some of the influential landowners of spate have installed tube wells to irrigate the lands. But studying the hydrology of the area, it is evident that the groundwater in the spate-irrigated area is brackish. Most of the tube wells in the area are deep installation at 400–500 ft. The construction of Gomal Zam dam has also developed the area in terms of perennial irrigation.
