Page 148 - Muzaffargarh Gazzetteer

depends upon flood water/sailab which leaves behind enough moisture for
maturing of Rabi crops without need of artificial irrigation. The construction
of Taunsa Barrage, however, has greatly affected the sailaba irrigation, firstly
because most of the area facing Kot Addu has become pond area, where
cultivation has become impossible, and secondly because of diversion of
water into the canal system, the quantity of water flowing downstream the
headworks has diminished.
The bed of the Chenab, on the other hand, is relatively deep and thus floods
do not spread over large areas. General tendency of the river, except where
it is restrained by protective works such as Railway Bridge near Chenab West
Bank Railway Station, is to swing to the West. The cultivation depends upon
the moisture contained in the soil. Quality of silt in this tract is better as
compared to that of Indus tract.

Central Tract
Lying between the two riverain tracts, in the shape of an inverse triangle,
roughly inside the great protective embankments in the East and West and
sand dunes in the North, is the Central tract which is irrigated from weir-
controlled canals and constitutes the best land in the district. The tract is
now increasingly becoming water logged and salinity affected, and unless
serious efforts are made to fight out salinity and water-logging, the
productivity of the land would continue to deteriorate.

Thal Nehri
The third agricultural zone, i.e. Thal Nehri, is mostly situated in Tehsil Kot
Addu and is irrigated by Thal Canal which travels from Jinnah Barrage
through the districts of Mianwali, Bhakkar and Layyah. The area of Rangpur
is irrigated by the Rangpur Canal. The entire area, wherever canal irrigation
has been extended, lends itself admirably to the cultivation.
Thal Kalaan
Removed from the rivers, in between Muzaffargarh-Mianwali road in the west
and Muzaffargarh-Jhang road in the east, there is high sandy tract called
Thal Kalaan, presently beyond the reach of canal water as well. Further, due
to uncertain rainfall and scarce water, the tract is not favourable for
cultivation.

SYSTEM OF CULTIVATION
As in most parts of Punjab, mix-cropping pattern is followed in Muzaffargarh.
In central region, cotton, wheat and other cash crops are grown while in
riverain tracks, mango orchards, sugarcane crop as well as wide range of
vegetables thrive. In Thal area, pulses e.g. gram, lentil and mong are grown.
There is also a wide range of fodder crops grown in riverain, central and Thal
areas to feed the cattle.

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