| Sumario: | This report documents a transformative journey in Pakistan’s water governance landscape. Availability of accurate and reliable data is the key to better water management. Indus Telemetry initiative exemplifies this principle by automated data acquisition using state of the art sensors, processing, and communication system. These systems revolutionize the way water is transparently monitored, accounted for, and governed.
Indus Telemetry began in 2017 as a national research‑for‑development initiative led by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), in partnership with Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and provincial irrigation departments. Designed to modernize Pakistan’s water monitoring infrastructure, the initiative aimed to build a reliable surface water accounting and audit system using automated canal flow measurements. It supports the National Water Policy (2018), which mandates telemetry coverage across the Indus River System.
Implemented across 11 main canals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Indus Telemetry introduced standardized designs, sensors, and data‑processing methods for canal monitoring. The initiative emphasized documenting practical procedures to guide irrigation departments, researchers, and private sector entities in establishing similar telemetry stations.
Rather than creating a new water accounting framework, Indus Telemetry strengthens existing practices used by Indus River System Authority (IRSA) and provincial irrigation departments. It enhances transparency and accuracy through high‑frequency, near real‑time flow data, enabling timely provincial reporting of volumetric water accounts.
The initiative progressed through three phases:
Proof‑of‑Concept – prototype deployment, system optimization, and stakeholder capacity building.
Uptake and Upscaling – expansion to KP canals, introduction of velocity sensors, and rigorous data validation via ADCP.
Sustainable Transfer – completion in 2025 with full handover to the provincial irrigation department.
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