All the 66 gates of Sukkur Barrage will be replaced – WB Task Team Leader
By Rehan Khan Khushik
Sukkur
Rehabilitation and Modernization Project of 90-Year Old Sukkur Barrage was launched on Wednesday at a ceremony held at main Sukkur Barrage. Under the project, all the 66 gates of Sukkur Barrage will be replaced.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of rehabilitation and modernization project of 90 years old Sukkur Barrage, World Bank Task Team leader Mr. Francois Onimus said that Sukkur Barrage was one of the Oldest Barrage in Pakistan, and in context of climate change, after the modernization and rehabilitation, it would bear more flow and capacity of water and floods in coming years.
“All components of the barrage will be rehabilitated through Sindh Barrages Improvement Project of Sindh government,” he said adding that modernization and rehabilitation work of Sukkur barrage will be completed within four years.
WB Task Team leader Mr. Francois Onimus and Project Director of Sindh Barrages Improvement Project of Irrigation Department Ghulam Mohi-u-ddin Mughal performed the launching of the S-1 package for rehabilitation and modernization project of Sukkur Barrage.
Francois Onimus said that its all 66 gates would be replaced and its civil and mechanical components will be rehabilitated. “The 90 years old Sukkur Barrage will have positive aspects through its rehabilitation and modernization of the Sukkur barrage”.
He said that Pakistan, especially Sindh province was facing climate change effects like floods, hence Sukkur Barrage and Indus River System will have to be stronger. “The farmers of Sindh will benefit through rehabilitation and modernization of Sukkur barrage”.
Project Director Ghulam Mohi-u-ddin Mughal said that with a total cost of 34 billion rupees WB-funded revised PC-1, the rehabilitation and modernization of Sukkur barrage was started.
He said that with a cost of 16.6 billion rupees the S-1 (Sukkur Barrage) package was started in which the restoration and upgrading work would be completed.
He said that it was historic event to launch S-1 package to rehabilitate and upgrade the Sukkur Barrage under Sindh Barrages Improvement Project funded by World Bank. He said that Sukkur barrage has already passed its span and it was a great task to rehabilitate and modernize the Sukkur Barrage.
He said that through modernization and rehabilitation of Sukkur Barrage, all issues will end at its off taking canals and main barrage.
He said that Sukkur barrage has seven off-taking canals and it has 9.2 million acres of cultivable command areas. He said that economy of Sindh will receive boost through modernization of Sukkur Barrage.
He said that through replacing of gates, the proper water would be distributed without any hindrances of silt issues.
He said that project development objective is to strengthen the Sindh Irrigation department’s capacity to effectively rehabilitate, operate and manage the Sukkur Barrage.
Earlier, Chief Engineer Sukkur Barrage Syed Sardar Ahmed Shah in his briefing to WB mission at Sukkur Barrage said that the Sukkur barrage passed 1.2 million cusecs of water in 2010 floods and 0.6 million cusecs water passed through it in 2022.
He said that the structures and main gates of barrage and its off taking canals was necessary to rehabilitate and modernize as its bearing and flow capacity of water will increase. He said that agriculture and irrigation sectors will be improved.
Technical officer Sindh Barrages Improvement Project Imran Aziz Tunio said that all operating systems of 66 gates and its hoisting system will be changed and it will increase the 50 years life of the barrage. He said that new feasibility study for locations also would be conducted to construct new Sukkur Barrage as well. He said that modernization of monitoring and surveillance will be improved.
Chief Resident Engineer John Prytherch said that following the climate change in Pakistan this would benefit the agriculture sector and people of Sindh to farm their land after rehabilitation and modernization of Sukkur Barrage.
The program was attended by WB team members Ms. Thiruni Liyanaga, Co-Task Team leader, Shafiq Hussain, and Chief Engineer Sukkur Barrage Syed Sardar Ali Shah, 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.
WB mission led by Mr. Francois Onimus and his team members Ms. Thiruni Liyanaga and Shafiq Hussain visited different components and Rice Canal.
Environmental WB Safeguard Mission
Another WB safeguard mission led by Mr. Takeaki Sato, an environmentalist specialist, Imran ul Haq and deputy director environment SBIP Dr. Ali Asghar Mahesar visited the Sukkur and Guddu Barrages and inspected the environmental issues. On that occasion Mr. Takeaki Sato said that conservation of Indus Blind Dolphin and Environmental Management Plan for Sukkur and Guddu barrages under SBIP were followed.
_________________
