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The old canal and Sir Ganga Ram
Driving along the canals in Punjab, you cannot miss the jungles of Shisham and Kikar, and the artistically-built rest houses
By Syed Rizwan Mahboob
If you can imagine the lengths of the unending katcha roads along big canals, with either side carrying towering, g*****ose trees of Shisham (Tali) and Kikar, upper ends of whose canopies mingle and twine together to form green tunnels, you will have some idea of the serene beauty which canal side jungles present to a lucky passer-by.
The delight that one can derive from travelling across canal side jungles in Punjab depends largely on the manner of travelling. Bicycles are the best mode of transportation on these peaceful sojourns as their noiseless sailing perfectly synchronises with regular ripples and odd splashing sounds made by the falling leaves on canal water surface.
Adding magic to the calmness of these scenes are the cheers and shouts made by sturdy farmers in adjoining fields, as they beckon their bullocks struggling with multitude of agricultural chores. The melodious sounds of old songs, coming from a quaint transistor radio in the midst of a group of canal builders having midday siesta, provides a much-valued backdrop.
When talking about jungles in Punjab, little attention is paid to the fact that more trees grow along canals across much of central and southern Punjab than the ones found in state forests. Covering a length of several thousand avenue miles, canal side plantations in Punjab exist as linear jungles, grown along the massive canal system (including mains, distributaries and major canals) over the last almost one century.
The presence of canals provides favourable conditions for tree growth as uninterrupted availability of irrigation water marks a welcome break from the otherwise arid province. Similarly, the presence of hundreds of porters or baildars doing maintenance work along the canals ensures protection and regular care of the trees grown along the canal systems. With a wealth of Shisham, Kikar and Eucalyptus trees, the canal side plantations form the biggest source of revenue got from timber and firewood sales in the province.
Another alluring feature which makes travelling through canal side jungles in Punjab a sheer joy pertains to the existence of artistically-built rest houses which exist through the length of the canal system. Developed as for the visiting canal engineers, these rest houses present a picture of ingenuous architecture, fully geared to suit the local climatic conditions. The presence of high roofs, thick walls, big and airy windows and gorgeous ventilation structures (roshandaan) ensure a cosy living in typically harsh weather.
Almost invariably, each canal rest house is also appropriately provided with a large chunk of cultivable land for growing vegetables or subsistence agriculture — and, more importantly — developing gardens of oranges and guava. Last but not the least, the presence of decades old mango and other indigenous trees with their stately canopies provide ideal nesting grounds for a variety of wild birds, including the green parrots.
One such house in Sahiwal is famous for keeping variety of parrots which readily take to talking with humans.
Travelling along these unending heavens of tranquillity and beauty, I have always wondered at the audacity, commitment and vision of many nameless engineers and foresters whose untiring efforts led to establishing these miracles in an otherwise scorched and arid environment. It is for this reason that I always make it a point during my countless travels along canal side forests of Punjab, to visit the offices of local irrigation officials or store rooms of the dilapidated canal rest houses.
Every now and then, I have come across written technical or general accounts pertaining to early decades of the last century and belonging to a forlorn brigade of meritorious engineers and foresters of Hindu, Sikh or Muslim origin. One can only marvel at the perseverance of those bygone heroes who must have worked in thorny wilderness and harsh living conditions (without any electricity or other amenities) to create these lasting sources of water and greenery for many generations to come.
However, I never realised that my aimless journeys along canals of Punjab would one day bring me in touch with perhaps the most leading philanthropy that the land of Punjab must have seen in centuries.
Leaving the small, sleepy town of Renala Khurd (district Okara), one comes across the huge bridge which spans over Lower Bari Doab Canal (LBDC). Leaving the main road near the bridge, one takes a katcha road that runs along the LBDC canal the mighty trees of Shisham and Kikar standing on either side as fortress fortifications. I must have gone hardly a few kilometres when I came across a wonderful and imposing structure, carrying the name of Renala Power Station.
With the kind permission of the local SDO of irrigation department, I was shown around the old and imposing structure dating back to the 1920s. However, more than the splendour of the Hydel Power Station itself, it was the name of the designer and builder of this water lifting and power generation station — Sir Ganga Ram — which was inscribed on the plaque fixed near the entrance of the power station that attracted my immediate attention.
It was there that I realised that Renala Power House (generating 1.1MW of electric power) was yet another manifestation of philanthropic zeal of legendary Sir Ganga Ram. Rather well-known for designing several historical buildings in Lahore including General Post Office, Lahore Museum, Government College, Aitchison College, Mayo Hospital and Ganga Ram Hospital, I never expected to come across another wonderful yet off the beaten track attraction attributed to this towering personality.
As I perused old records at the Power Station, it appeared that Sir Ganga Ram had designed and built the Renala Hydro Power Station in 1925 after obtaining on lease from the government 50,000 acres of barren and un-irrigated land in Montgomery District. As the record revealed, it took the genius three years to convert that vast desert into fertile agriculture fields by using irrigated water lifted from the hydroelectric plant which ran through scores of miles of irrigation channels. Needless to say that most of profits made from this (and such other enterprises) were liberally dedicated to countless acts of philanthropy and magnanimity, attributable to this great personality.
The marvellous power house at Renala Khurd and its adjoining garden are usually closed for common public, following the aftermath of 1982 desecration of Babri Mosque and the general security concerns of the recent times. These uncertainties have largely frustrated important renovation and maintenance efforts which are badly needed at this historic site. As I left the power house with approaching dusk, I found the local engineer earnestly hoping for approval of the much-needed funds to rehabilitate the preciously old powerhouse structures. In the twilight shadows of towering Shisham, strange shapes resembling human figures could be seen on the nicely-laid brick walls of Renala Power house building. I could almost see the hallucination of Sir Ganga Ram, smiling like a benign Buddha and assuring us of yet another miracle leading to the fulfilment of canal engineer’s entreaties.