Agro-climatics of Mandi Bahauddin

Height of the district from the sea level is 244 meters. Climate is extreme but favorable for agriculture. The district gets warmer from April onwards. The hottest months are May, June and July. Mean maximum and minimum temperatures during this period are about 39.5 and 25.4 centigrade respectively. Winters begin in October. Coldest months are December, January and February. Frost is common in January and February and temperature falls below the freezing points over few nights. Winter days are generally pleasant. Maximum and minimum temperatures during winters are about 21.5 and 5.1 centigrade respectively.Rainfall varies considerably across various parts of the district, with annual average rainfall at about 435 mm. Mandi Bahauddin is a fertile agricultural belt, with main crops grown are wheat, maize, sugarcane and tobacco. Tobacco covers the largest proportion of the total cropped areas, followed by wheat and rice. The district has immense potential for growing fruits such as citrus, guava, banana and mango While there are relatively less opportunities to rear cattle in irrigated cropped areas of the district, there is enormous potential to raise cattle in the riverine of the Chenab and Jhelum where large grazing areas are available. There has been significant increase in the number of cows and buffaloes in recent years. There is a large increase reported in imported and local crossbreeds of cows in the riverine areas. In 1998, cattle population in the district was reported to be 1,471,720. Veterinary hospital and dispensaries are functioning at markaz and union council levels, where Veterinary Officers and Assistants are posted to administer prophylactic vaccines to the cattle heads of their area at the doorstep of farmers. There are 12 veterinary hospitals, 41 veterinary centers (Provisional) and 11 veterinary dispensaries in the area.

Irrigation in Mandi Bahauddin

Mandi Bahaduddin is also a land of two rivers, Jhelum flows along the northern boundary and Chenab along southern boundary. Flows in both the rivers shrink to small steams in winter. In hot weather, the rivers are swollen by the melting snow in Kashmir and upper regions and by rains. Agricultural areas in Mandi Bahauddin are irrigated by an irrigation network comprised of 13 distributaries along with 961 watercourses and tubewells.

The Upper Jhelum Canal (UJC) emanates from Mangla Dam and irrigates the eastern, central and major portion of the western part of the district, through Gujrat Branch and a network of distributaries and minors. The Lower Jhelum Canal (which originates from Rasul Barrage) irrigates a part of Tehsil Malikwal before flowing into Sargodha district. Groundwater is also used for irrigation in the district.

Socio-economics of Mandi Bahauddin

Total population of Mandi Bahauddin is about 1,160,552, as estimated in 1998 census. Annual average growth rate of population is reported to be 1.9 percent during 1981-1998 while the population density is estimated to be 434 persons per square kilometer compared to 317 persons for 1981, indicating a fast growth rate of population in the district.
In 1998, total number of lifetime in-migrants in Mandi Bahauddin district was 5.3 percent of district’s total population. According to the population census, out of the total district migrants, 75.1 percent came from other districts of Punjab, 3.4 percent came from Sindh, NWFP and Baluchistan, 3.0 percent from Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas while remaining 18.5 percent were Pakistanis who  repatriated from other countries.
The economically active population as estimated in the population census (1998) comprised of 41.6 percent of the total male population. Participation rate of population is much higher in urban areas as compared to that in rural areas. Unemployment rate in the district was reported to be 13.0 percent that was  mainly due to unemployment amongst male population (13.3 percent) compared to only 1.8 percent for females. Low unemployment rate for female was because of their small proportion in total economically active population. Unemployment rate was higher in urban (21.8 percent) as compared to rural areas (11.5 percent).
Population census of 1998 reports that majority of employed persons in Mandi Bahauddin were working in agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing industries (40.3 percent), followed by construction industries (36.5 percent) and community, social and personal services industries (8.3 percent). In rural areas, 44.4 percent were working in agriculture, forestry hunting and fishing industries, 37.4 percent in construction industries and 6.9 percent in community, social and personal services industries.
Tehsil Headquarters Hospital at MB was upgraded to a District Headquarters Hospital in 1993.  In addition, there are a large number of private hospitals and health clinics in the district. Welfare organizations  and NGOs are also running charity hospitals. Two such projects are, the Maternity Hospital managed by Shehri Ijtimai Taraqiyati Council (SHATIC), and a big free eye and general hospital functioning at Dera Mian Sahib (Tehsil Mandi Bahauddin) under the auspices of Rifahi Markaz. These two hospitals are rendering services to the deserving patients free of cost.