The Sindh Irrigation department, on Friday, suspended supply of water from Sukkur Barrage to all the off taking canals as emergency repair work has been started to restore two damaged gates of the barrage. “Damages have been detected in Gate Nos. 44 and 47 of Sukkur Barrage at 7:20 PM, 20.06.2024. To combat the emergent situation necessary repair works of both gates are being started on Emergency Basis by utilizing all available resources with the Department,” said a news statement issued here.
The Sukkur barrage, built during 1923 to 1932 is the largest single irrigation network of its kind in the world that irrigates a vast area of Sindh spanning from Sukkur district in the north to western districts of the province.
All public in Sindh in general and farmers in the command of Sukkur Barrage in particular, were informed that to avoid further damages and to facilitate the emergency repair works of Gate Nos. 44 and 47, all Sukkur Barrage Gates are fully opened to evacuate the upstream pond. Consequently the supply to all Canal off-taking from Left and Right Side of Sukkur Barrage i.e. Nara, Rohri, Khairpur East, Khairpur West, Northern Dadu, Rice and NW Canal has been suspended until restoration of the damaged gates, the statement read.
The barrage network consisted of seven canals 9,923 kilometers long, feeding more than 7.63 million acres of irrigated land. The retaining wall of the barrage has 66 spans (outfall gates), each 18 meters (60 ft) wide and weighing 50 tons. Vowing to complete repair of both damaged gates at the earliest and restore supplies to all Canals off-taking from Sukkur Barrage the Irrigation Department said that the confirmed date of restoration of complete supply of water to all canals would be communicated within next 72 hours. The provincial government under Sindh Barrages Improvement Project is currently carrying out a project of Rehabilitation and Modernization of Sukkur Barrage and all gates of Sukkur Barrage are being replaced including Gate Nos. 44 and 47.
Earlier, in 1982 Gate No. 32 had collapsed and all gates of Sukkur Barrage were replaced from 1989 to 1992 while again, in 2019 Gate No. 39 of Sukkur Barrage was damaged and six gates of the barrage, which were in precarious condition, had been replaced on Emergency Basis through Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works under Sindh Barrages Improvement Project.
