Daily Times

A high level Virtual mission of the World Bankunder leadership of Mr François Onimus Task Team leader discussed the progress of rehabilitation Guddu and Sukkur barrages.

Mr Takeaki Satto International World Bank Environment specialist,  MissUzma Sadaf procurement specialist and Mr Imran Ul Haq social safeguard of World Bank mission,   Ghulam Mohi u Ddin Mughal  project director of Sindh Barrages Improvement Project Guddu and Sukkur Barrages, Deputy PD Mr Habib Ursani of Sindh Barrages Improvement Project,  Mr Mohammad Ayoob Soomro additional secretary technical of Sindh Irrigation department,  Dr Asghar Mahesar Deputy Director Environment and Mr Abdul Razak Memon deputy director procurement of SBIP, Mr Junaid Ahmed Memon water resource specialist, Dr Maria Askandria monitoring evolution specialist and Umer Karim agriculture specialist from FAO,Mr Ihsan Leghari Project Coordinator, Aslam Ansari director coordination  project coordination team participated in discussion in over all activities and their output, and interim outcome and project development objectives.

This high level mission of World bank is discussed as under in detail. Rehabilitation and moderation of Guddu and Sukkur Barrages are implemented under Sindh Barrages Improvement project of Sindh Irrigation department government of Sindh funded by the World Bank. Feasible design study of Guddu and Sukkurbarrage were conducted by International Consultants MMR based on UK and Atkin based on Turkey associated with local consultants respectively.

Design consultants of Guddu Barrage identified that barrages have passed 55 years and observe that main barrage gates and head regulator gates remain in poor condition; therefore there are requirements of replacement of gates on urgent base.In this regard, a contract has been awarded for replacement of gates and river training works are going on at Guddu barrage site. While, as per feasible study shows that Sukkur barrage has passed 90 years and silt has been accumulated in left pond and particularly in right side pond, due to this right side canals of Sukkur barrage cannot receive their proper share of water as per design.

A procurement and contract are under progress for replacement of gates and de-silting from right and left ponds.However, during this process, it was observed that the main six gates of Sukkur barrage such as 31, 33, 34, 36, 39 and 40 were damaged. Keeping in view of safety of the barrage which supplies water about 80% of agriculture land of Sindh province. The contract of replacement of these six gates was awarded to the Shipyard on emergency basis because the shipyard had a vital experience for installation of gates of Guddu barrage during construction in 1962.

Now these gates are in barrage spans that are in the main river channel passing through the barrage and bear maximum stresses from river flows during supper floods. As a result these six gates have more deterioration in comparison to other barrage gates. These gates were,therefore selected for early replacement, a head of project for replacement of all gates. The existing gates are 21 feet high and their weight is about 40 tons while replacing them with new gates height has been increased 23 feet and the weight of new gates is about 50 tons.  World Bank team emphasized on a release of environmental flow downstream of Kotri for sustaining ecosystems in the coastal area/delta area of Indus River.