'Notes on Persian Seistan' [‎28v] (61/142)

46
NOTES ON PERSIAN SEISTAN',
THE CANAL SYSTEM OF SEISTAN.
The main division of the Helmund water takes place at the Band-i-
Seistan, which is a temporary contrivance of tamarisk branches and sand.
Until this Band is destroyed, as it usnally is by the first He mund flood
practically the whole of the water flows down the Rud-i-Seistan, a small
quantity only percolating through the dam and continuing along the mam
river bed After the destruction of the Band, the water is fairly equally
divided, about five parts following the main channel and four parts continu-
inff along the Rud-i-Seistan. ^ ^ • ,r i n ^
g Following this latter branch first, we find it flowing about forty-five
yards wide, with a maximum depth ot ten
Bud-i-Seistan. feet, to Shahristan Hill, and furnishing
water en route by means of a large canal to a group of villages in the Mahal-i-
Nahrui, namely, Khwajah Ahmed, Sherifabad, etc. On reaching Shahristan
Hill, a large canal, the Rud-i-Hasmki, takes
Bud-i-Hasinki. ^ rom ma j n stream, and passing close
to the east of the hill, flows as far as Deh Masti Khan, where it divides into
two blanches* # i j • , i
One, called the Rud-i-Bunjar, is almost at once divided into nearly a
dozen separate channels, and takes water to Iskel, Bunjar, Kasimabad Deh
Arbab, Buri-i-Afghan, Kala-i-Nau, Bolai, etc, while the other branch the
Rud-i-Adimi, supplies Balakhana, Kachian,
Bud-i-Adimi. Adimi, etc*
The main body of the Rud-i-Seistan, henceforward known as the Rud-i-
Sheb-i-Ab, and formerly called the Killajat-
Bud-i-Sheb-i-Ab. i-Sbaraki canal, flows just north of the
village of Sbahristan, about 200 yards east of which another large volume of
water is drawn off by the Zahak or Rud-i-
Zabak or Bud-i-Shahr. Shahr, which, flowing close to Malik Haideri,
Gori and Jalai, supplies the wants of Nasratabad and Husseinabad, and, by
means of a subsidiary canal, Kul and Afzalabad.
The Rud-i-Sheb-i-Ab, flowing generally in a westerly direction, passes
close to Kimak, south of Jazinak, and near Dashtak, Chilling, and Deh Moham
med Safar, and irrigates, by means of smaller canals and watercuts, all the
cultivation south-west of the line Shahristan-Daodi. In the latter part of its
course, that is in the Sheb-i-Ab district, the main canals branching from it
are—
(a) Nahr-i-Sekkoha, flowing to Husseinabad, Varmal, and Sehkoha.
(b) She la Kafir, which flows to Tuti and Daolatabad.
(c) Nahr-i-Kaodi, which branches off at Chilling and supplies Tamar-
abad, Sinchuli, Daodi, etc.
Following next the main river, we find no canals bringing water into
Persian territory, between the Band-i-Seistan and the Band-i-Shahgul, where
the river again divides, about one-fifth of the water following the old bed of
the river, and the remainder flowing along
u i anan* the new channel, known as the Rud-i-Parian.
The water of the old Helm un d is used for the irrigation of Afghan tend-
Old Helmund. tor y ° nl y* ' vh ' le ^ Kud-i-Famn, with one
exception, feeds the Miankangi district alone,
by means of twelve successive canals. Of these the largest, the Lakhshakh,