SUKKUR: Sixteen newly installed weir gates of Sukkur Barrage were inaugurated on Monday by Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro and the department’s Secretary Zarif Iqbal Khero.

The inauguration ceremony was held at the barrage marking completion of the work on 16 main weir gates in Phase-I, from bay No. 44 to 59.

The work has been carried out by a Chinese firm under a contract package of Sindh Barrage Improve­ment Project (SBIP). The restoration and upgradation of Sukkur Barrage project is financed by the World Bank.

Speaking at the ceremony and a press conference, Jam Shoro said that both civil and mechanical works of these 16 gates now stood completed despite so many hurdles which were faced during execution.

28 more gates will be opened in next phase, says Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro

He congratulated the Chinese firm and the local engineers for their success, and noted that the project was executed under the monitoring of PMO SBIP and project implement consultants MML Mott Macdonald Ltd. in association with the MMP.

He stated that in the Phase-II, 28 main weir gates would be replaced and in the Phase-III, 12 gates of pocket sluices would be replaced.

According to the minister, Sukkur Barrage is the most important hydraulic structure which irrigates more than 8.8m acres of Sindh’s lands.

In reply to a question, he said that the old gate No. 43 was closed due to perpendicular coffer dam. It would be replaced in Phase-II, he added.

He said that another gate, No. 63, was closed due to installation of caisson gate in front of this bay and was under monitoring by the Chinese contractor.

Answering another question about sediment deposition at upstream of the Barrage, he said that it was a natural phenomenon. “Silt travels up to the Arabian Sea through Indus Basin … it will be removed by the Chinese contractor through draggers and a flushing operation during flood season,” he said.

Later, the minister along with provincial government’s officials and engineers visited the barrage’s upper deck at bay No. 44 to 59 to inspect the 16 newly installed gates. He tested the gates’ operation by lifting and lowering them. Modern technology has been employed for the hoisting system installed by the Chinese firm.

Besides Irrigation Secretary Zarif Khero, those accompanied the minister were Project Director SBIP Pritum Das, Chief Engineer Guddu Barrage Syed Sardar Ali Shah, senior irrigation engineers, Chinese contractor firm and its engineers and other relevant officials.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2025