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Khyber Pass, the largest and the most
renowned of these, is 56 kilometres long and connects Kabul in
Afghanistan with the fertile vale of Peshawar in the NWFP. The Tochi
Pass connects Ghazni is Afghanistan with Bannu in Pakistan and the
Gomal Pass provides a route from Afghanistan to Dera Ismail Khan
which overlooks the Punjab Plain. the Bolan Pass connects the Sindh
Plain with Quetta in Balochistan and onward through Chaman with
Afghanistan. Enclosed by the brnahces of western mountains are a
number of fertile plains which have been formed by rivers rising
from these mountains and falling into Indus. From north to south are
the vale of Peshawar (Kabul River), Kohat Plain(Kohat River) and
Bannu Plain (River Kurram and Tochi),
Peshawar valley covers some 2,200 sq.
miles (5,698 sq.km) and is very fertile. It is irrigated by a
network of canals which are supplemented by water of the Warsak Dam
on Kabul River. Wheat, maize, sugarcane tobacco and sugarbeet are
cultivated in large quantities. Large industrial Plants have been
established at Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera and Charsadda. The sugar
mills at Mardan and Charsadda are reported to be the largest in
Asia. Kohat valley is uneven and broken, but has fertile soil.
The Tanda Dam on River Kohat
supplemented water of the tubewells and the
small tanks formed by damming the
rivers. Wheat, barley, gram, maize, rice and melons are grown in
substantial quantities. Kohat (76,000), an important town, owes its
significance as a marketing centre and a cantonment. The Bannu
lowland is made of sandy and gravelly materials brought down by
rivers, except for a small area near Bannu town (43,000), which
contains rich silt. Perenial irrigation, made possible by the
construction of the Kurram Garhi Dam on River Tochi, is confined to
the land between River Kurram and River Tochi. The Bannu plain
produces wheat, gram, maize, barely, rice and sugarcane. In
unirrigated parts of Kohat and Bannu plains are raised flat tailed
sheep,camels and donkeys and wool is the most important commerical
crop. |
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