Topography Barkhan

 

District Barkhan is located between 290 37’ and 300 21’ N and 690 3’ and 700 4’ E. The area of this district is 3411 sq km. It is bounded in the north by Musakhel district, in the east by Dera Ghazi Khan district (Punjab province), in the South by Dera-Bugti and in the West by Kohlu and Loralai. Barkhan Town is the headquarters of this district, which is about 1215 meters above sea level.

 

Physical Features

 The district consists of one main valley, called Barkhan, and several smaller valleys, which are separated from the main valley by low ranges of hills running in south-west direction. The Barkhan valley is enclosed on the north side by scattered low hills, which divide the drainage water of the valley from the waters flowing into the Rakhni stream in the south-west, and on the west and north-west side by the great Jandran range. The valley ends in the Vitakari valley. To the east of the Sukha range is the Kharcha valley, which is bounded by the Phulai range on the east.

 

The hills in the district belong to the Suleman range; the principal hills are known as Kala Pahar in the north, Karwada, Bibar, Jandra and Mar or Mukhmar in the west, Andari and Sukha in the south, Phulai and Khawaj in the east, and Mazara, Tagha, Dig and Deka in the centre and Rakhni areas. The ranges mostly consists of earth sand and stones; some portions are rocky and not easily accessible. The Jandran range is mostly rocky.

 

Rivers and Streams

 Through the north-east part of the district runs the Rakhni stream and its tributaries in the east. Rakhni runs north-east along the eastern boundary of the Barkhan district and receives the water of a number of affluents from the west, of which the principal ones are the Chung, Churi and Padhi. It irrigates Rakhni and Chacha areas of Barkhan district.

In the south runs the Han stream with its tributaries. The Han stream runs in a south-west direction and carries the drainage of the Han pass and the south-eastern slopes of the Jandran range. At Dhamani (Barkhan Tehsil) the stream becomes perennial up to its junction with the Kah river in Dera Ghazi Khan district. Dhaula stream, its tributary, brings water from the hills situated to the south of the Bagha valley and irrigates a number of villages in the Barkhan valley and joins Han in Vitakari. Rakhni and Han join Kah Stream which then passes into the district of Dera Ghazi Khan.

A third important stream is Bala Dhaka. This stream lies in Berg-Sham Mauza of the Barkhan Tehsil. The stream is a tributary of the Narechi river (Duki Tehsil). Water in this stream comes down from the south-western slopes of hills located north of the Han pass. The stream irrigates a very small area of Mauza Berg-Sham, and then its water passes in the Duki Tehsil.

 

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