'Seistan. Irrigation report of the Perso-Afghan Arbitration Commission, 1902-1905. Volume I. Report and appendices. Simla: Government of India Foreign Department, 1906' [‎93r] (190/500)

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Chap. XII. ]
including that of the channel itself, should be provided with a masonry regulator
to control the supply, but it would not be wise to build such works on an
uncertain channel like the Rud-i-Parian, though regulators would be very useful
at the tail of the Nad-i-Ali Channel below Burj-i-As to divide the water to the
Lakhshak, Deh Dost Muhammad and Sikhsar and Charkh systems.
These works need only be very simple walls with a sufficient revetment on
the bed. The masonry would be built by the cultivators, who would contribute
their own labour to the brick-making, but would require to recompense the masons
by a grant from the grain at harvest. Timber for gates to close the heads would
be a great difficulty : doubtless the ingenious Seistani would contrive something
from tamarisk poles and wattles. The dearth of timber must have had a great
influence in the past on the irrigation system. The present system of temporary
porous tamarisk weirs (band) would continue to be used, to control the river, if
the site of the band had to be moved elsewhere it might or might not be neces
sary to build a new regulator to the Rud-i-Seistan. Such regulators are used on
the Punjab Inundation Canals.
There is little doubt but that an adviser from India would forthwith provide
masonry works at the heads of these channels and make contoured maps and
lay the country out in squares ; and it is equally certain the Seistani has attained
his prosperity in the past without such works. It is difficult for those trained on
books, maps, contours, facts and figures to realise the intuitive knowledge
possessed by these people of all that concerns the irrigation of this delta. They
have an inherited natural aptitude for observing all that concerns -the water ;
nor is it strange that it should be so since the river is the lifeblood of the country,
without it existence would be impossible. We must remember that our science
has been attained by the earnest study of local problems in India by many faithful
men, and it can only be applied successfully in Seistan if we in our turn loyally
study this country ; the Seistani will be found an enthusiastic and skilled guide.
Many small schemes are in hand in the country, the Miankangf is gradually
t being reclaimed ; this has often been referred
to in the ‘ Revenue Report and Notes.
Now that the boundary is definitely laid down, plans are already matured to reclaim
the land about Takht-i-Shah. The natural instinct of the people guides them to
the direction from which to bring the water for irrigation and where to place the
protection embankments.
A canal referred to in a foot note at the end of Chapter III to reclaim and
irrigate the Chah Muhammad Raza depression is also being considered, this canal
would pass to the west of the depression and so form its own reclamation embank
ment the irrigation being all on the east bank down into the depression. The canal
would be brought from the Warmal system of canals through a narrow gap in the
Puza-i-Adil Shah where there is an ancient kariz. The road from Lutak to Chah-
i-Muhammad Raza runs along this kariz. Old Dadi, Kadkhuda, is the engineer
of the scheme, and Yamin-i-Nizam, the organiser.
A work that should be within the skill of the people to make is a flood
The feasibility of a flood escape at Bandar- escape down the Rud-i-Taraku from Bandar-
i-KamaiKhan. i-Kamal Khan. The flood of 1903 was
kept back by a line of sand-hills, otherwise some part of it would have spilt down
that channel and so relieved the channels in the northern delta. At present the
people exclude floods from this channel in the interest of the small area of culti
vation on the Bandar-i-Kuhna or Taraku canal, and the more experienced
because they fear the result of a flood going down that channel.
Floods could be spilt down this channel with safety a simple weir were
built to prevent the flood water scouring out a channel which would develope to
a size capable of taking the river away in that direction. The flood of 1885
scoured no channel because only thick silt laden water w r ent down, but some
big floods are almost clear snow water which tear at the beds like a plough ;
to pass these with safety a weir is required.
This water would replenish the wells and produce grazing in the Ram Rud
tract and do much to improve the route from Seistan to Quetta ; the waters