MUZAFFARGARH, Jan 17: Construction companies continued worked on Wednesday to plug the breach developed in an embankment at the Taunsa Barrage on Monday night. The work was disrupted at the Taunsa Barrage Remodelling Project as a result of the 90-feet breach.

Descon company representative Captain (retired) Humayun Sajid told Dawn that only 20-feet breach had yet to be filled and would be filled in next two or three days.

He said construction companies’ machinery worth Rs600 million was still trapped in water. He said the construction work already done at the barrage had been damaged. He said the companies were assessing the loss, adding it could exceed Rs3 billion.

Separately, an Irrigation official on the condition of anonymity told Dawn the recent breach would also delay the supply of water into the Muzaffargarh canal that was earlier planned to open on Feb 11. The department had stopped water supply into the canal last month. If the supply was not restored as per schedule, it would badly damage 750,000 acres of wheat, 40,000 mango orchards and 2,500 acres of sunflower in the district.

The source said that the canal had been closed in December because construction companies working on the Taunsa remodelling project wanted so to build the embankments.