Daily Times

Sukkur Barrage is one of the most important and strategic structure of the Indus Basin irrigation system. Construction of the barrage was started in 1927 and was commissioned in 1932 with command area of about 8 million acres/3.2 million hectors; about 80% of the agricultural land in Sindh depends on this Sukkur Barrage.

The barrage has seven canals, four on left bank-Nara, Khairpur feeder east, Rohri and Khairpur feeder west and three on right side-Dadu, Rice and North West canals.

This barrage is supplying water through these canals to 11 districts on left and 4 districts on right sides and even one district of Balochistan – Dera Allah Yar.

This barrage is also used for river control and flood management, act is source of water supply for all sectors of the economy, functions is a bridge over Indus. Therefore the safe condition and the reliable operation of the aged barrage have for reaching implications for the livelihood and economy growth of all segments of society.

Keeping in view, economy importance of Sindh barrages, required for further enhancing life and capacity of barrage, because it already passed useful life about 8 decades.

During design study for modernization and rehabilitation of Sukkur barrage, the following issues have been identified such as insufficient flood capacity, sediment deposition in left and right pockets, out dated hosting and electro mechanic system, repair of structural on arches pairs and road deck.

However, Sukkur barrage is facing a risk in shape of heavy flood events-supper flood events and any failure of the barrage may likely the cause of catastrophic affecting water supply to all the irrigated area of the Sukkur barrage and flooding infrastructure such as roads, railways lines, bridges, mega cities, towns and agriculture and overall economic development. It was decided and concluded that during feasible study that substantial rehabilitation, maintenance and improvement works including structural repairs, de-silting, upgrading/replacement of gates, lift structure and electro mechanic system.

The current barrage can increase the capacity to 1.3 million cusecs from the current flood capacity of 0.9 million cusecs. About 50% of the population in Sindh earns its livelihood in way or other way through this monument of the barrage.

The occupation of livelihood in command area of the barrage, rest on agriculture which is the main source of livelihood for 77% of the households. Other sources of income are labor, daily wages, employment with government and remittance from the family member’s works in the cities.

However, 58% house hold also has secondary sources of the income from activities such as labor, trading and livestock etc.

Income and poverty, the locals is the primary source of income for people living in the barrage command area is agriculture, majority house hold have not regular monthly income, but rather have seasonal income from crops.

Socio economy survey of the project area indicates the minimum monthly income as per 6000-rupees 200 per day.

The survey also reveals that 60% of the people in the project area live below the poverty line.

The growing agriculture crops in the command area of the barrages such as wheat, rice, cotton, sugar cane, maize, grain and fodders, pluses, orchards, and vegetables are found in the majority of the villages.

Wheat is the common crop to be grown by 90% of village, followed by cotton-57%, rice 55% and sugarcane 43% . 29 % villages also have orchards such as dates, lemon, mango and banana.

The overall cropping intensity estimated is 107.9% with Kharif 53.9% , Rabi 42% and orchards is 11.2%.

Related with livestock, goats and poultry are owned by more than 90 farming households. Buffalos are owned by 60% households, cows owned by 31% and sheep owned by 26% by house hold.

Related with Fisheries-fish is major nature resource in Indus Rivers, in Guddu to Sukkur reach about 500 households in the ten to 15 radius of Sukkur barrage