Pakistan

Sukkur Barrage repairs to cost Rs25b

Replacing the existing structure will cost four times more

Our Correspondent September 28, 2015

The Sukkur Barrage provides agricultural water to a large section of the province. In dire need of repair, the barrage is not operating at full capacity due to a multitude of problems. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI:

The rehabilitation of Sukkur Barrage will cost the government Rs25 billion, while the cost of construction of a new barrage will be around Rs100 billion according to the irrigation secretary, Zaheer Hyder Shah.

A meeting at CM House was held on Monday to discuss the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Sukkur Barrage.

Shah said that since the barrage was constructed in 1932 sedimentation problems had plagued it. The permanent closure of 10 gates formed an island and a submerged weir, which has reduced the flood capacity of the barrage from 1.5 million to 900,000 cusecs.

The secretary said that all the gates were replaced between 1986 and 1992 and emergency repairs were carried out in 2004 when a large scour hole developed in its right pocket.

He said that all the gates of the barrage are in good condition, except the five, which need to be replaced. Its pond level and freeboard below the gates also need to be increased. This would help open the gates to their maximum level.

The secretary said that the flood of 2010 passed with freeboard margin of just about two feet when the gates were opened completely. During high floods only 27 of the 66 barrage gates remained active, causing risky flow concentration in the central left part of the barrage.

He said that the rehabilitation of the barrage, including the repair of canal head regulators, right pocket river training works, fish-pass and overflow weirs in span 59, dredging works, electrical works, modernisation of monitoring and control instruments, construction of new buildings for monitoring, control system, laboratory, workshops and other buildings will cost Rs25 billion.

"We will hold another meeting to make a concrete decision. Protecting the barrage means protecting the agriculture of Sindh," said the chief minister.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (3)

Dr. Akhtar | 9 years ago | Reply A simple application of cathodic protection, would have saved the steel gates from corrosion. Discovered over 100 years ago. These guys obviously have never heard of this or are perhaps not interested for obvious reasons.

Josh | 9 years ago | Reply It seems pretty obvious very little was done in terms of maintenance over the years at Sukkur Barrage and now the bill expected to be over 25billion with all the repairs and extensive work required. Federal and provincial governments would much rather build metros, bridges and line up their and cronies' pockets than do something like maintenance of assets such as sukkur barrage and many others that have lasted and stayed in use much longer than any of the mstros and brigdes would!

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