Probe sought into barrage’s gates crash

The Sindh Abadgar Ittehad, a farmers' lobbying group, has called for a retired judge and academic experts-led inquiry about the collapse of two gates of the Sukkur Barrage. A meeting of Ittehad took place in Hyderabad on Friday, chaired by Nawab Zubair Talpur.

The farmers recalled that the process of repairing and replacing the gates of the barrage had continued for the last six years but still two of the gates were washed away. The growers suggested that academicians from two engineering universities and a retired justice of a superior court should probe the incident.

Meanwhile, the Chief Engineer Sukkur Barrage Suhail Ahmed Baloch, Executive Engineer Syed Ayaz Shah, and Sub Divisional Officer Ameer Bux Mahar have been removed from their posts. According to the Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, the officials will remain suspended until the outcome of the inquiry report.

They have been replaced by Mansoor Memon, Farman Wagan, and Abdul Samad, respectively. Memon, who is currently Chief Engineer Guddu Barrage, has been given additional charge of the Sukkur barrage's left bank. The gate numbers 44 and 47 fell on June 20, creating a severe shortage of water in the districts that were supplied water through the canals of the Barrage because all the water stored upstream flowed downstream towards Kotri Barrage.