The original headworks near Marala along with the Upper Chenab Canal were built as part of the
Triple Canals Project of the British India during 1906–1912. The canal was meant to irrigate an area of 648,000 acres in the
Gujranwala District as well as to transfer waters to the
Ravi River near
Balloki. It was opened in 1912 and fully completed by 1917 at a cost of 37 million PKR. It became profitable in 1938–39. The waters transferred to the Ravi River were further fed to the
Lower Bari Doab Canal via the
Balloki Headworks, irrigating the
Montgomery and
Multan districts. This canal became profitable at least a decade earlier than the Upper Chenab Canal. The waters of the Ravi River itself were left to irrigate the semi-arid states of
Bikaner and
Bahawalpur. The link canal concept initiated in the Triple Canals Project eventually became the basis for the
Indus Waters Treaty after the independence of India and Pakistan. The
Marala–Ravi Link Canal was constructed between 1952 and 1956 in the wake of the
Indo-Pakistani water dispute of 1948, when Pakistan became apprehensive of
water security in the Ravi and the Sutlej rivers. This canal transfers 623 cusecs of water to the Ravi River in order to satisfy the requirements of
Balloki and
Sulemanki headworks. ==Characteristics==