Plains in Pakistan
The Indus Plain
River Indus is the largest river of our country. After originating from Lake Manasarovar in Tibet (China), it passes through Himalayas and enters Pakistan near Gilgit. It’s main Eastern tributaries are Sutlej, Bias, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum. All the plain areas of our country have existed by the sediment bought by River Indus and its tributaries. The Indus plain can be further divided into the Upper Indus Plain, Lower Indus Plan and the Sindh Delta Plain.
Upper Indus Plain
It is the region from Attock to Mithankot i.e. most of the areas of Punjab Province. The upper Indus plain has a height from 180m to 300m. Five big rivers of Punjab drain this plain and cover it with alluvial soils but some dry hills known as “Kirana hills” appear near Sargodha, Chiniot and Sangla. The general slope of the land is from northeast to southwest. The northeastern part is flood plain and the piedmont area is marked by numerous streams and torrents.
Lower Indus Plain
This plain includes the area from Mithankot (junction of river Indus and it’d eastern tributaries) to Thatta. It is a level alluvial plain and is very fertile but rainfall is scanty so agricultural activities are limited. The northwest areas of the plain are suffering from water logging and salinity. The Sindh plain forms the major part of the lower Indus plain and the Rohri ridge of limestone is it’s most outstanding feature
The Sindh Delta / Deltaic Plain
It begins from north-east of Thatta and covers an area between 20 to 25 Sq. miles. A coastal strip of 10-40 kin wide is flooded at high tide and contains mangrove swamps. The deltaic soils are formed of sub-recent alluvium and estuarine deposits. The eastern region is the Rann of Kutch, a saline marshy land. Due to slow drainage conditions, Stalinization is the most active process in the deltaic area.
The Kachhi-Sibi Plain
The Kachhi-Sibi plain is bounded on the north by the Marri-Bugti ranges, and on the west by Kalat ranges. This plain is arid waste, and most of it is barren, and cultivation is not possible without irrigation.