Amandarra Headworks

The Amandarra Headworks, located on the Swat River near Batkhela in Malakand District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Amandara Headworks is one of the oldest and most important irrigation structures in the region. Built in the early 20th century, the project was approved around 1907 and completed in 1914. Situated at an elevation of about 664 meters above sea level.

The headworks diverts water into the Upper Swat Canal (USC), which irrigates extensive agricultural lands across Malakand, Mardan, Swabi, and Charsadda districts. Structurally, the weir can handle around 100,000 cusecs of floodwater. While its three under-sluice gates have a combined capacity of about 99,000 cusecs, giving the system a total flood handling capacity of nearly 200,000 cusecs. By sustaining a vast command area, the Amandara Headworks continues to play a vital role in agriculture, food security, and the livelihoods of local communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.