ISLAMABAD Feb 10: Former president and Millat Party chief Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari has drawn the attention of the authorities towards an emergency situation developing at the Sukkur barrage which caters to seven huge irrigation canals , and has appealed to the federal government to help Sindh government for its urgent repairs.

Speaking at a news conference at the party office here on Tuesday, Mr Leghari said a total of eight million acres of agricultural land came under the command area of the country's massive barrage, of which about 6.5 million acres were cultivated by seven canals coming out from the barrage.

He said the very existence of the barrage was endangered due to the sinkholes appearing at a number of places and if emergency repairs were not undertaken the country could face irreparable economic disaster.

The sinkholes, the former president said, ought to be filled with durable clay on an emergency basis, besides undertaking immediate desiltation of the pond it had been filled to the masking level.

He alleged that the emergency situation had emerged due to the negligence of past governments which also needed to be probed by the Sindh government to fix responsibility.

He accused the corrupt officials of the concerned department for misappropriating the meagre funds allocated from time to time for repairs. Mr Leghari said according to reports vertical cracks had appeared in the main barrage area which were threatening its existence whereas the concerned department, due to incompetence, had put soluble limestone to fill the cracks.

He said he had raised the Sukkur barrage question with President Gen Pervez Musharraf in Tuesday's meeting and the president was aware of the emergency situation at the barrage.

Plugging of the sinkholes and strengthening of the valves were required at the earliest, he said, adding that a complete review of the conditions of all barrages and canals in the country should be undertaken to save the country from a disaster.