LAHORE, Jan 18: The Punjab government claimed on Thursday that Monday night’s breach would not affect the Taunsa Barrage remodelling project materially. “The damage due to the breach has been minimal and the large scale of damage projected in some news reports is highly exaggerated,” a spokesman of the irrigation department said in a statement.

(A construction company engaged in the barrage remodelling project, it may be added, had on Tuesday put the initial loss at Rs 3billion)

He said the breach, occurred in the coffer dam of the barrage, was expected to be plugged by Friday (today) evening.

Regarding reported delay in irrigation supplies to the DG Khan and Muzaffargarh canals, the spokesman said the two water channels were basically non-perennial and remained closed during the Rabi season.

The two canals, he added, were generally provided water at the time of sowing wheat and then before the crop maturity. The DG Canal was provided some additional flows for drinking purposes.

He said 1,000 cusecs of water was to be released into the DG Canal from Jan 16 to 31st for drinking purposes. “There has been some disruption in availability of the drinking supplies due to the breach. However, this (drinking) supply will be made available by Jan 31 when the breach in the coffer dam is plugged and the conditions return to normal. Likewise, irrigation supplies to the DG Canal are likely to resume by the first of March.”

He said construction work would resume in about a week’s time and the civil works would be completed within this year with 15-20 days setback in the original schedule.