KARACHI: Six hundred men and a mass of latest machinery are busily engaged at building the Lower Sind Barrage. Its foundation was laid by the Governor-General of Pakistan in February 1950. Human labour has been cut down to the minimum and construction work is being carried out with greatest possible speed.

But in spite of this work is behind the schedule by a year. Many precious months were taken up by discussion over the final design and the method of construction. Then certain essential machinery on order was delayed.

Considering the gigantic nature of the task, such delays were natural. One, however, is impressed by the extensive work already accomplished during the last twenty months. Concrete and stone work on the feeder channel on the right bank is well advanced. Sluices for the Kalri Baghar feeder are going up speedily. Fourteen of the forty-four bays have been already built and more are coming up.

The protective ring bund has been extended to within four hundred feet of the east end of the Barrage, and the wall of the eastern feeder channel has also come up. This should give an idea of how far construction work has progressed. … — Dawn Special Representative

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2026