SUKKUR: A team of senior officers of the Sindh Barrages Improvement Project (SBIP) visited Sukkur and Guddu barrages to oversee replacement of gates. “The task is to be completed on an urgent basis,” the team told all those engaged in the execution of the plan.

The team, headed by project director Ghulam Mohiuddin Mughal, comprised his deputy Sajid Ali Bhutto, director mechanical Noor ul Arfeen, deputy director environment Dr Asghar Mahesar and specialists/experts of environment and communication.

The resident engineer of the Project Implementation Consultants (PIC) at Sukkur Barrage briefed the team about progress of work.

The team was informed that gate Nos. 39 and 40 had already been replaced while replacement of gate No. 35 was in progress at the moment. Gate Nos. 31, 32 and 34 were in the process of fabrication at the Karachi Engineering Shipyard Company, it was told.

Project director G.M. Mughal also held a meeting with the barrage’s chief engineer, Syed Sardar Shah, and discussed with him progress of the replacement work. He told Mr Shah that the contract of replacing 50 gates was to be awarded later this year.

The project director pointed out to the consultants that the hoist system of gate Nos. 39 and 40 was not functioning properly according to the staff of the barrage the project management office. He called for taking remedial measures.

Mr Mughal along with his team also visited Guddu Barrage and held a meeting with the consultants concerned.

Resident engineer of civil works Chaudhary Anwar told the team that replacement of main gates of the barrage would be undertaken after monsoon was over, ie in September. He said that work on the guide bunds, shank bund, T-spur and J-spur was also under way.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2021