SUKKUR, Jan 20: Sindh Secretary of Irrigation Mohammad Siddique Memon has said that last year's flash flood has not done any major or minor damage to Sukkur Barrage and if a similar flood hits again in future it will also flow down safely under the barrage.

Talking to journalists after a visit to off-taking canals of Sukkur Barrage on Wednesday, the secretary said that the barrage was undergoing repair, maintenance and monitoring work. Filters and water-gates had been repaired, oiled and greased and silt was being removed from under the gates, he said.

He said that the federal government had released an initial amount of Rs2 billion for repair and maintenance of the barrage. Besides, consultants were busy inspecting the barrage for possible damage and were fully coordinating with repair and maintenance work, he said.

In reply to a question, the secretary said that no part of the Bunder Wall had sunk in the ground. “We are in contact with the district administration for removal of encroachments which have been made illegally inside the Bunder Wall,” he said.

Earlier, the secretary visited Sukkur Barrage and its offtaking canals and Sukkur Barrage Chief Engineer Agha Aijaz Pathan briefed him about the ongoing work.

Executive Engineer of Begari Sindh Feeder Amjad Jatoi said that work on plugging breaches in Tori protective bund and Ghouspur loop protective bund and widening of protective bund would be started after approval of the schemes by chief engineer of Guddu Barrage.

The schemes costing more than Rs1.32 billion were sent to higher authorities for approval which included expenditure on plugging of 10 breaches in Tori protective bund, Ghouspur loop protective bund, Haibat bund and old Ghora Ghat protective bund.

He said that according to secretary of irrigation Rs16.20 billion schemes for strengthening and plugging breaches in protective bunds on both sides of the river had been sent to higher authorities for approval.

He said that the work on plugging of breaches would start before next flood season and funds would also be allocated. Work had not yet started on other flood affected bunds.

A five-member team of Sindh Assembly members arrived at the site of Tori bund on Wednesday to review the situation. The team consisting of MPAS Dr. Ahmed Ali Shah, Haji Anwer Mahar, Mohammad Sadiq Memon, Syed Faseeh Shah and Mir Ghalib Domki also visited lower areas of Guddu Barrage and inspected work on breaches.

Mr Jatoi said that 10 breaches occurred during the flash flood which included Tori bund, Ghouspur loop bund and others while funds had not yet been released. Work had been carried out at a small level to plug the breaches in Tori bund and Ghouspur bund and pre-qualification tenders had been issued for plugging the breaches, he said.