SUKKUR, Aug 4: A team of four experts, including British hydraulic engineer Martin Airey, on Wednesday visited the Sukkur Barrage and inspected the ongoing repair work on a ditch near the foundation of a pillar between the spans No: 2 and 3 which poses a major threat to the structure of the barrage.

The team went to Sukkur at the request made by the Sindh government to Britain for consultancy and expertise to repair the biggest irrigation system of the world. The other members of the team are: Zareef Iqbal, Nawaz Memon and Shakoor Ahmed, former chief engineer, irrigation, Punjab, who is at present working as a consultant with the British Mat-MacDonald Company, which, according to the irrigation authorities, specialise in such repairs.

Mr Airey and Mr Shakoor Ahmed, after visiting the barrage told newsmen that the damage should not cause much worry. They said they had technology to repair the barrage and strengthen it.

They blamed the damage on poor maintenance work over the past years. They said that other reason was that islands had developed in the river which could pose threat to the barrage.

They said that the islands would have to be removed but there was no arrangement to do that. According to them, the Sukkur Barrage was designed for 15,00,000 cusecs of water, but its present condition shows that it could hardly pass 500,000 cusecs due to these islands.

They said that a huge flood could harm the entire barrage. Terming the recent repair work a temporary measure, they said they would submit a report to the UK ambassador on the repair work. Regarding expenditure and a schedule for starting work, they said it would depend on consultations between the UK and the Pakistan governments.