THE execution of the second phase of the Reni canal project, located on the left side of Guddu barrage, is held up for want of funds from the federal government and approval from the Sindh government.

The project needs revision of PC-I due to cost overruns following inclusion of some defence-related works in it.

A summary has been sent to Sindh’s chief minister for an NoC for Thar canal’s construction. But approval for the revised cost of the project by the federal government is awaited.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah met chairman Wapda this month and urged him to expedite the implementation of the Reni canal. Officials of the provincial irrigation department say the project would irrigate the desert in its command area for cultivation of summer crops when surplus water at Guddu barrage is available during flood season.

Of the total length of 175km, the canal’s first phase covering 110km is completed. Once operational, the canal with a capacity of 10,000 cusecs would provide 5,000 cusecs of water to Thar canal to irrigate 412,000 acres of land.

Of the total acreage, 113,000 acres are to be provided water from 110km length of the canal. The rest would get water from the remaining portion of the canal that covers a 65km distance.

Project officials said the entire cultivable land lies in the desert where there is no source of freshwater. Wapda proposed the canal as a floodwater channel. “Some surplus water can be retained for irrigating these lands instead of letting the entire floodwater flows downstream. These water flows will help recharge groundwater aquifer in the desert”, points out a Wapda officer.

A summary has been sent to Sindh’s chief minister for an NoC for Thar canal’s construction. But approval for the revised cost of the project by the federal government is awaited

The canal’s command starts from Khenju Town in District Ghotki. Thar canal would emanate from Reni canal at RD-181 in Ghotki. Escape channel — along the main canal — has also been completed, according to a project official.

Under phase-II, Thar canal would go to Mithi to provide freshwater for drinking needs of the community and livestock. Storages are also planned on both sides of the canal covering the 65km length of canal.

“We don’t have allocation of irrigation water for this area through Reni canal; with its construction additional acreage will be brought under cultivation during July-September period”, said an irrigation department officer.

According to official information, Rs18bn have been spent on the project so far. And its revised cost is assessed at Rs43bn. Approval from the federal government’s bodies like CDWP and the Ecnec is pending.

Sindh’s former secretary irrigation Babar Effendi proposed that a parallel escape channel upstream Guddu barrage with a capacity of 50,000-100,000 cusecs is also necessary to ease pressure on Guddu barrage.

Effendi says if 1.2m cusecs of floodwater is to hit the barrage, the diversion of 50,000-100,000 cusecs to the escape channel would ensure stable floodwater flows at the Guddu barrage.

He added that the federal government would have to pitch in funds for this project and even the World Bank’s assistance could be sought in this regard. He is of the view that this escape channel with this capacity of water would fill wetlands in the desert and right upto Achro Thar (white desert) in District Umerkot.

The Sindh irrigation department had objected to crest level of Reni canal on left bank of the Guddu barrage, considering the fact the canal would get normal flows if its crest level was not different from Ghotki Feeder canal. It was suggested that it should be at least 3ft higher than Ghotki Feeder’s crest level.

It is against this backdrop that the dividing wall of Guddu barrage would be built at the seventh instead of the fourth bay to keep Ghotki Feeder canal’s intact for normal supplies.

Wapda officials said crest level didn’t matter much in terms of the canal’s operation as it is the gates that regulate the canal. They added that crest level issue was resolved in view of provision of divide wall at seventh bay under Guddu barrage’s rehabilitation project under Water Sector Improvement Project.

The Sindh government is interested in Thar canal’s construction so that it could ensure freshwater availability in the desert, especially for the Thar coal project which is at execution stage in block-II.

Besides, the government has also opted for treatment of saline water of Left Bank Outfall Drain through reverse osmosis in Thar coal project.

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, March 20th, 2017