'Mesopotamian Transport Commission. Report of the Commission Appointed by the Government of India with the Approval of the Right Hon'ble The Secretary of State for India, to Enquire into Questions Connected with the Organisation and Administration of the Railway and River Transport in Mesopotamia' [‎8v] (16/114)

6
when the lowest depth, 5 feet, was experienced. This result was largely on ac
count of careful regulations governing river traffic, and also due to shipping
being directed through definite channels, thereby assisting them to scour out
and improve.
30. Near Ali Gharbi a certain amount of water reaches the Tigris from the
Pusht-i-Kuh hills but it is negligible in its effect on the depth of the river.
In the neighbourhood of mile 149^ (2 miles below Kut) shifting sand banks
are encountered and extensive shoals exist towards the left bank on approaching
Kut.
31. -The low water season which extended from July 1917, to January 191S,
was remarkable as a record ; river levels at Ali Gharbi, which may be taken as a
fair indication of the depth of the v/hole river, were, during July 1917, 2 feet 9
inches lower than the previous year on the same date, and maintained that
comparative depth throughout the season. The first rise also occurred about 17
days later than usual in the Spring of 1917.
32. The railway at Kut relieves the pressure which falls on the river carriage
on the second section. The distance by water from Kut to Baghdad is 204 miles
as compared with 112 by land, and the windings of the river are frequent with
elbow bends and considerable stretches forming deep loops of varying width.
At mile 73J the river bends sharply, forming a difficult low water shallow reach
for nearly 7 miles.
There is an average of 4 feet low water reading throughout this section and
navigation is difficult in several of the reaches, especially between Aziziyeh (102nd
mile) and Diyalah (184th mile), where water is liable to drop to as low as 3 feet.
Innumerable canals and irrigation cuts join the river throughout this sec
tion.
33. In an average year the first rise in the river may be expected from the
middle to the end of November, but channels begin to improve earlier than this.
The effect may be noticeable in October and from that month until May the river
should provide sufficient water for normal draft inland-water vessels.
The lowest water month is September.
During April and May '' guttras '' are frequent; these are sudden squalls
of hurricane force which often necessitate the removal of all loose awnings and
roofings. These " guttras " are experienced most frequently between Ali
Sharghi and Sweara and all small craft have to tie up while they are blowing.
34. Each section of the river, as before detailed, has its own establishment of
Pilots (Arabs locally enlisted who have had sailing craft experience on the river, and
they assist the Commanding Officers of vessels in piloting the ships over the
stretches of which they have special local knowledge.
The system of buoying and marking crossings by means of transit marks is
carried out on the siame principle except that officers are in charge of sections,
5 and survey the area for which they are responsible at least once every 24 hours,
altering buoys or marks as necessary in accordance with any changes in the
formation of the channels that they observe.
3—Raihvays.
General. 35. Prior to the British occupation of Mesopotamia the only railway existing
in the area was the Baghdad-Samarra section of the 4'8j" inches Turco-German
Baghdad Railway, on the right bank of the Tigris. Since the commencement
of military operations three separate groups or island systems of railways
have gradually been developed. First, a metre gauge system connecting Basra
(Makina) with Amara on the Tigris, and with Nasiriyeh on the Euphrates. Second,
another metre gauge system connecting Baghdad (Hinaidi) with Kut on the Tigris
and Baqubah on the Dyala. This latter line has a 2' 6" extension to the foot of the
Jebel Hamrin Mountains, which extension, together with its existing branch to
Abu Saida and projected branch to Deltawa, will shortly be converted to metre
Third River
Section Kut-
Baghdad (204
miles).