Dr. Charles visited Kotri barrage in connection with training of Irrigation Department’s engineers and introducing the canal modernization in irrigation system of Sindh.
By Allah Bux Khushik.
Dadu
Dr. Charles M. Burt, water expert of World Bank, has advised Sindh Barrages Management to construct the stilling wells with digital system/ electronic sensors for knowing the gauge levels at off taking canals of barrages.
Stilling well is a pipe, chamber, or compartment with one or more comparatively small inlets connected with a main body of water or flow channel. The water level in the well can be measured and used to calculate flow or to control devices such as gates or pumps.
Dr. Charles M Burt said that current installed gauges are not giving precision level of water at barrages and canals due to fluctuation in water surfaced profile.
Dr. Charles M Burt is the renowned water expert, who is also the chairman of Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) California Polytechnic State University of USA. He visited Kotri barrage in connection with training of engineers of irrigation department and introducing the irrigation canal modernization in irrigation system of Sindh- the history- making efforts made in Sindh first time.
Dr. Charles received briefing from technical officers regarding Hydraulic structure / Kotri Barrage and distribution of water and off taking canals.
On that occasion, Dr. Charles focused on proper distribution of water through calibration of head regulators if canals.
During visit to KB feeder canal off taking on right bank of Kotri barrage, he conducted detailed inspection and discussed with irrigation engineers led by Sohail Hameed Baloch SE Kotri barrage, and PMO SBIP led by Sajid Ali Bhutto deputy project director.
He advised the barrage officers that the current rating system is good but old of British era therefore there is need of calibration of all off taking canals as per modernization.
He advised the management of Kotri barrage that without all parameters such as upstream and downstream gauge and pond level and gate opening data required for calibration, if any kind of error is being observed that cannot compute exact flow rate in canals. He further said that there are modern systems for computing flow rate through SCADA- supervisory Control and Data accusation.
He visited site of off taking canal Akram Wah and discharge for calibration of head regulator of Akram Wah.
He emphasized that the calibration of canals is very important for management of barrages to know how much flow rate is released down stream of head regulators.
Dr Charles M. Burt was accompanied by Ahmed Junaid Memon, water management expert of Food and Agriculture Organization UNO, Omer Karim, agriculture engineer UNO, Superintendent Engineers Irrigation Sajid Ali Bhutto, Sohail Hameed Bhutto, Habib Ursani and irrigation engineers Orangzeb Memon, Tariq Asad Ursani, Imran Aziz Tunio and Dr Ali Asghar Mahesar.
Sajid Ali Bhutto briefed the delegation that Sindh barrages improvement project has already started calibration of 14 off taking canals head regulators from three barrages of Sindh Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri. He said that irrigation department is already aware about equitable distribution in canals and receiving share allocation of Sindh canals from IRSA according to accord 91.
Dr. Charles M Burt also shared his experience of water management system in America with Kotri barrage officers.
Dr. Charles M. Burt conducted visit at Hydraulic and Research laboratory near old Phulili canal in Hyderabad city.
He got constructed model of irrigation canal which is to be introduced in irrigation system. Model is prototype with large crest weir and constant head orifice. Such mode has been introduced in Sindh irrigation system, under supervision of Director Hydrology Sindh Habib Ursani.
Dr. Charles has written canal irrigation modernization – A supplement to existing Sindh (Pakistan) operation, design and maintenance manual on 258 pages. He has mentioned in manual that in Sindh Pakistan and India have been operating irrigation system introduced by British government but still not changed in that system but irrigation system of world has been changed as per modernization of canal system.
This manual is guideline for introducing canal irrigation modernization which has already been introduced at global level.
During visit of laboratory Dr. Charles also checked physical model of all parameters which have been constructed as per design which is used for demonstration during training which will be continued for five days at Gymkhana Hyderabad and seven day visit of Guddu and Sukkur barrages and barrages of Punjab as well as irrigation system in Punjab till 11 march 2022.
Gulam Mohiuddin Mughal Project Director Sindh Barrages Improvement project Guddu and Sukkur barrages and Ehsan Leghari Project Coordination Monitoring Unit Planning and Development, government of Sindh coordinated the world bank mission for holding such training of engineers of irrigation department regarding modernization of irrigation system of Sindh for enhancing their capacity.
The main purpose of this training is to train newly recruited engineers for operation on maintenance of barrages and calibration of head regulators of 14 canals of barrages of Sindh.
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