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| March 24, 2007 | Saturday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 4, 1428 |
Water supply to canals restored to save Taunsa
MULTAN, March 23: The Irrigation Department restored on Friday water supply to Muzaffargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan canals and increased water discharge into the Taunsa-Punjnad Link Canal, all derived from the Taunsa Barrage.
The measure was taken to decrease water flow downstream after a `warning’ by the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) that the increasing water flow due to rains could damage the Taunsa Barrage remodelling project.
An official of the department confirmed the release of water but said no indent from Irsa was received.
The move is aimed at minimising water pressure downstream where work on the project work is in progress.
On March 21, IRSA warned the Punjab Irrigation and Power Department to take measures for the protection of the World Bank-funded Taunsa Barrage Emergency Rehabilitation and Modernisation Project as up-and-down streams discharge at the barrage was increasing.
On Friday, at 4:00pm, the upstream discharge at the barrage was recorded at 93,759 cusecs and downstream 74,759.
With increase in Indus flow, there is a likelihood of increased discharge into the canals. On Friday, the discharge into the DG Khan Canal was 4,000 cusecs, TP Link Canal 12,000 cusecs and the Muzaffargarh Canal 6,000 cusecs.
The supply to the TP Link Canal was suspended on Dec 15 last and was restored for four days only from March 11 to March 14.
Work on the Taunsa project was taken in hand in December 2005, and Rs2.414 billion were spent on it in 2005-06 while Rs1.892 billions have reportedly been spent in the current fiscal year.
On Jan 15, 2007, machinery was swept away and the work was suspended for a couple of days after a big breach in the coffer dam.
The department set up a high-level inquiry committee comprising chief engineers of Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan irrigation zones.
The committee was to complete their probe in seven days but despite the passing of more then two months the report has yet to be submitted.
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