Built between 1987 and 1997 using funding from the World Bank,[1] the canal collects saline water, industrial effluents and Indus river basin floodwater from more than two million hectares of land of Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas and Badin districts located in Nara River basin into the Arabian Sea.
Old Nara River streams are used to collect the saline water generated from irrigated lands and the industrial effluents.
The DPOD empties into Shakoor Lake located both in Pakistan and India whereas effluent of KPDO is directly discharged into sea through 41 km long Tidal Link Canal.
Drainage capacity of canal has been increased to 9000 cusecs after 2011 floods by de-silting of bed of drain, raising banks up to two feet, repairing damaged hydraulic structures and by clearing vegetative growth.
[9][10] The creation of the canal has been said to have a negative impact on wetlands in the area,[11] especially in India's Great Rann of Kutch area,[12] and by releasing LBOD's salt water into the purposefully built Chotiari Reservoir in Sindh in Pakistan.