About the Department of Irrigation & Flood Control
Jammu Province is being irrigated through a network of irrigation Khuls/Canals in the Chenab, Jhelum and Ravi Basin. Irrigation and Flood Control Department Jammu is entrusted with the job of providing irrigation facility to the farming community in Jammu Division for Kharif and Rabi crops, maintaining existing irrigation infrastructure, creating more irrigation potential by conceiving and executing new irrigation projects. The Department is also responsible for implementing flood control measures in rivers and nallahs in length and breadth of Jammu Province in order to prevent to reduce the detrimental effects of floods.
The total area of Jammu Division is 2628300 HA, whereas the net sown area is 398168 HA and net irrigated area is only 109842 HA which works out to 26% of the net sown area. River Chenab is one of major rivers of Jammu Division and is flashy in upper reaches. It originates near Lahul and Spiti valleys in Himachal Pradesh at an elevation of about 5000m above the mean sea level. Chenab is formed by two streams, the Chandra and Bagha. River slope varies from place to place with steepest part 25m/Km U/S of Tandi and 5m/Km from Tandi to Akhnoor which further reduces when the river flows into the plains.
Chenab River has total length of 1200 Km in India and Drains an area of 61000 Sq Km in India.
Peak flood discharge of 61000 cusecs was observed in Sept 2014.
The velocity of river is very high in upper reaches and river bed is mostly rocky and it has firm banks and beds. Main tributaries of Chenab River, Miyar Nallah, The Bhut Nallah, The Marusudar, the ans, the Niru Nallah and Tawi River.