ISLAMABAD, July 8: The Punjab government has warned that the structural stability of all the barrages and head works in the province is in danger and most of them have completed their expected life.

“It is, therefore, imperative to take in hand remedial measures immediately,” writes the provincial irrigation and power department to the federal government.

“Most of these structures require detailed inspection, monitoring, investigations and implementation of proposed remedial measures,” it said, adding that the failure of the system could cause colossal loss in terms of deficiency in agricultural output and damage to national economy.

The Punjab government has submitted a plan for immediate rehabilitation and modernisation work for saving the barrages and head works.

These barrages, it said, were suffering from effects of being old, coupled with hydraulic problems, accretion and retrogression.

It said many structures in the Punjab irrigation system had outlived their normal life.

In order to keep barrages in working condition, great care and vigilance was needed, it said, adding: “Even a small slackness in upkeep may endanger safety of these vital structures.”

The normal economic life of hydraulic structures is taken as 50 years.

After the construction of the Mangla and Tarbela dams, the beds of rivers upstream of the barrages had been accreting, while retrogression had been observed downstream, reducing the capacity of the barrages, it said.