The launch ceremony for Rs34 billion project of restoration and upgradation of 90-year-old Sukkur Barrage was held on Wednesday.
Team leader World Bank Francois Onimus, Co-Task Team leader, Thiruni Liyanaga, Project Director of Sindh Barrages Improvement Project of Irrigation department, Ghulam Mohi ud Ddin Mughal and other officials launched the project that will be completed in four years.
Among others who attended the event included Director Mechanical, Iqbal Palejo, Director irrigation, Abdul Razak Memon, technical officer, Imran Aziz Tunio, Deputy Director Project, Sajid Hussain Bhutto of Sindh Barrages Improvement Project and UN FAO representative, Ahmed Junaid Memon.
Speaking at the ceremony, Onimus said that Sukkur Barrage was one of the Oldest Barrages in Pakistan and after its upgradation and modernisation it would bear more flow especially in the flood-like situation given the climate change.
He further added that all 66 gates of the barrage would be replaced with proper rehabilitation of its civil and mechanical components. "Pakistan specially Sindh province is experiencing the flood devastation hence Sukkur Barrage and Indus River System will remain more strong with this initiative," he mentioned.
He said, Sukkur Barrage has seven offtaking canals and it has 9.2 million acres of cultivable command areas and the economy of Sindh will be boosted through its modernisation.
Earlier, Chief Engineer Sukkur Barrage, Syed Sardar Ahmed Shah said in his briefing that in the year of 2010 1.2 million cusecs of water passed through Sukkur Barrage while in 2022, 0.6 million cusecs of flood water passed through the Barrage.
He went on to say that the structures and main gates of barrage and its offtaking canals were necessary to be rehabilitated and modernised after which its bearing and water flow capacity will increase.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2022.
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