TOPOGRAPHY

Quetta district lies between 30⁰ - 03’ and 30⁰ -27’ N and 66⁰ - 44’ and 67⁰ - 18’ E. The total geographical area of Quetta district is 2653 Km².

The general character of the district is mountainous. The hill ranges are fairly uniform in character consisting of long central ridges from which frequent spurs descend. These spurs are intersected by innumerable gorges and torrent beds. They vary in elevation from about 1,254 to 3,500 meters. The Mashlakh, the Chiltan, the Murdar and Zarghoon are the important mountain ranges in the district. Quetta lies in the active seismic region, therefore earthquakes occur from time to time. The worst earthquake occurred in May, 1935, when a large part of Quetta was destroyed and 60,000 people died. As recent as February 1997 a seven earthquakes (7.1 on rector scale hit Balochistan).

There is no perennial river in the district. The Quetta Lora comes out near Sariab and traverses the western side of the Quetta valley. This Lora carries rain and waste water near Baleli and continues northward through the Kuchlak valley. Water of Quetta Lora is used for irrigation in villages like Khazi Samungli and Nohsar. Hanna stream is the important source of drinking and irrigation water in the district. It rises in the western slopes of the Zarghoon range near Urak, about 21 Km north east of Quetta. It enters the Quetta valley near the Staff College and drains its

northern parts. The Hanna stream is joined by the Sora Khula and Ghundak Rud Nalla above Sheikmanda village.