Taunsa

Taunsa تونسہ
City
Shrine of Taunsa Taunsa Barrage
Nickname:  Yunan-i Saghir (Mini Greece)
Taunsa Location in Pakistan
Coordinates: 30°42′20″N70°39′28″E / 30.70556°N 70.65778°E / 30.70556; 70.65778
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
District	Taunsa
Tehsil	Taunsa
Union councils	3
• Rank	1st
Elevation	157 m (515 ft)
Population  (2023) [1]
• Total	115,704
• Rank	107th-largest in Pakistan
Demonym	Taunsawi
Time zone	UTC+05:00 (PKT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+6 (PDT)
Post code	32100
Area code	0642

Taunsa ^[a] is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan and the capital of Taunsa District. It is located on the bank of the Indus River and is known for its agricultural and irrigational significance. The city is primarily inhabited by Saraiki-speaking people, with a significant minority of Balochi speakers.

The region around Taunsa was an ancient settlement and remained a village or town earlier to 21st century. It was part of wide Multan region in medieval era and then of Mughal era's province of Multan. The region was conquered by the Umayyads in 8th-century spreading Islam in the region. After Baloch civil war in 14th century, some Baloch tribes settled in Taunsa and the adjoining Koh-e-Sulaiman mountain region. ^[2]

Location

Taunsa is located on the Karachi-Peshawar Highway, which is also known as Indus Highway. It is approximately 120 kilometers from Multan, 975 kilometres (606 mi) from Karachi, 430 kilometres (270 mi) from Peshawar, and 450 kilometres (280 mi) from Lahore. Taunsa is also the location of one of the headworks on the Indus River called Taunsa Barrage, located 16 kilometres south of Taunsa city. Taunsa is surrounded by Koh-e-Sulaiman mountain range.

History

Taunsa Barrage

Taunsa is also the location of one of the notable structures on the Indus River called Taunsa Barrage, located several kilometres south of Taunsa city. It was designated a Ramsar site on March 22, 1996. The Taunsa Barrage was completed in 1958, and it has been identified as the barrage with the highest priority for rehabilitation. It requires urgent measures to avoid severe economic and social impacts on the lives of millions of poor farmers through interruption of irrigation on two million acres (8,000 km²) and drinking water in the rural areas of southern Punjab, benefiting several million farmers.

In 2003, the World Bank approved a $123 million loan to Pakistan to rehabilitate the Taunsa Barrage on the River Indus whose structure had been damaged owing to soil erosions and old-age. The project was designed to ensure irrigation of the cultivated lands in the area of the Muzaffargarh ^[3] and Dera Ghazi Khan Tehsil ^[4] canals, and through the Taunsa-Panjnad Link Canal that supplements the water supply to Panjnad headworks canals.

Taunsa Barrage also serves to provide for a variety of fish, which contributes towards fulfilling the food related needs of area.

Demographics

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1951	7,253	—
1961	9,712	+2.96%
1972	13,439	+3.00%
1981	19,934	+4.48%
1998	38,297	+3.92%
2017	97,193	+5.02%
2023	115,704	+2.95%
Sources: [5]

According to 2023 census, Taunsa had a population of 115,704.

Notes

1. Urdu: تونسہ

References

1. "Punjab (Pakistan): Province and Major cities, Municipalities and Towns - Population Statistics, Charts and Map".
2. "Punjab | History, Culture & Economy | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2025-04-11. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
3. Muzaffar Garh Canal ^{[ permanent dead link ]}
4. Dera Ghazi khan canal ^{[ permanent dead link ]}
5. "Population by administrative units 1951-1998" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.