HYDERABAD: A ‘sinkhole’ has been created near the structure of Kotri Barrage upstream and irrigation department officials are struggling to plug it which is otherwise threatening for the barrage, the last one over Indus river.
The Kotri Barrage chief engineer has denied that a ‘sinkhole’ was developed upstream the barrage, but acknowledged that 65pc necessary repair work had been completed following some damages.
No fully-fledged investigations were conducted to determine the nature of damage or work that necessitated dumping of ‘heavy stones’ upstream barrage. A repair work at a cost of Rs100m was being carried out with Kotri Barrage chief engineer (CE) Haji Khan Jamali claiming that 65pc work had been completed and he hoped to complete it in the current month.
“Expenditure of Rs100m is reflective of the fact that a deep crater is created near the structure. The disturbing point is that if some more repairs become essential, the very stones being dumped at this huge cost will have to be removed first, thus entailing a huge cost again,” said an irrigation source on Thursday.
The repair work was discussed among senior engineers in a WhatsApp group of the department where the Kotri barrage chief engineer had shared pictures of the ongoing work. “Stone dumping at upstream Kotri Barrage,” said CE Jamali in his Whatsapp group message along with a few photographs.
Pritam Das, managing director of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida), replied to his message, saying “Good job Haji Khan. Wasn’t it completed during the closure, if yes then has problem reoccurred?”. Then the CE stated that the work was partially done through boats and now the remaining was in progress through barges.
“No it is not a sinkhole,” told the Kotri Barrage CE over phone this correspondent on Thursday when asked if a ‘sinkhole’ was created near upstream Kotri Barrage. He explained that it was a deep channel that was created by Indus river on the left guide bank. He said Indus river flew towards left side of bed and when flows reached near structure, they turned towards right side of the bed upstream.
“We noticed this movement when this acted away from the barrage’s apron and started work because barrage is our lifeline,” he said and asserted that “this deep channel is around 100ft away from the barrage”
While Jamali claimed that Indus river created deep channel on the left guide bank, but massive stone dumping could be seen right in front of the main barrage weir structure.
The WhatsApp group conversation was joined by Development Region-II Chief Engineer Zarif Iqbal Khero with a detailed message, strongly differing with methodology of the current repair work. “Sinkhole in upstream barrage is something unimaginable in development and will cause uncontrollable loss during rising inflows and floods at the barrage,” said CE Khero.
Jamali thanked him for what he believed his ‘guidance’.
MD Pritam Das visited Kotri barrage today (Thursday) personally as well. “I recommended sounding must be determined after dumping of stones, which will make things easier to know the extent of the work,” he said while talking to Dawn. He agreed with coffer dam methodology as suggested by his colleague Khero. “Coffer dam treatment is just like opening the wound before treating it completely in all respects. If it was not done in the last year’s closure of barrage then it wasn’t correct approach,” said the MD.
Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2023
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