ISLAMABAD, March 31: Authorities in Sindh have asked the federal government to earmark Rs158.3 million for urgent repair work on Sukkur barrage and help it to protect the irrigation structure from further damage.

Settlement of the stone apron at the downstream end of the barrage and other key locations became “conspicuous” during recent probing operations and needed urgent repairs before its condition aggravates, official sources told Dawn on Friday.

Alarmed by the gravity of the situation, the Sindh government has prepared a “Sukkur barrage rehabilitation project” and rushed it to the Planning Commission for approval.

A copy of the project details made available to this correspondent states that “any damage to the barrage would be a blow to the agricultural economy of the country”.

Failure to accomplish the project will result in “fatal damage to the infrastructure”.

The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) will carry out the repair work for which the Sindh government has sought Rs158.3 million from the federal government, as was earlier done in case of emergency repairs to the right “under-sluices” during 2004-05.

The main objective of this project is to save the barrage from any damage against the degradation effect of retrogression phenomenon.

For this Sukkur barrage will have to be brought to a status that it can function safely. In order to find out the scouring behaviour of the river, soundings and probings were taken at key locations upstream and downstream of the barrage. During this process it was noticed that scour pits had formed at many locations of the barrage aprons. “In order to make the barrage safe against adverse effects of scouring, replenishing of damaged stone aprons is essential,” Sindh government officials said.

The barrage on the Indus River provides regulated irrigation water supply to about 7.552 million acres of land (CCA) in Sindh on the two sides of the river.

The CCA, on the left and right sides, are 5.542 million acres and 2.011 million acres, respectively.

The rehabilitation plan comprises the works of restoring damaged stone aprons upstream and downstream of the barrage. It also comprises main weir, nose of left divide wall, nose of tail channel, etc, of the barrage.

The civil work comprising dumping of stone in “GI wire crates (Gabions)” would be done by the FWO on unit rates, including the cost of required machinery and equipment which are available with them.

The FWO would work under instructions of the Sindh irrigation and power department.

Sukkur barrage is located about 255 air miles north-east of Karachi. It is about 3 miles downstream of “Lansdowne” and Ayub bridges. The main cities of Sukkur and Rohri are on the right and left banks of the river, respectively.

The barrage is situated 100 miles downstream of Guddu barrage and about 300 miles upstream of Kotri barrage on the Indus River.