SUKKUR, Oct 3: Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro said that the Reni Canal Project would be resurrecting the dead Reni River by supplying water through a weir from the Guddu Barrage, it would serve multiple purposes and would prove to be beneficial.

The Sindh governor said this while briefing the president about the Reni Canal project at the Guddu Barrage, 150 kms from Sukkur, on Thursday.

He said that the canal would be called the Reni Canal and would expand the left bank command area of the Guddu Barrage significantly.

He said that in Project 1 the Reni Canal would emanate from the Guddu Barrage and pass near Ubaro, Daharki, Mirpur Mathelo, Khangarh, Salehpat, and Rohri. It would terminate at the Nara where a reservoir would be located having a storage capacity of 61,000 acre ft. It would be 164 kms in length and would irrigate about 400,000 acres of arid region in Thar and Nara. It would have a capacity of 5,155 cusecs.

He said that the possibility of off-taking the Thar canal from the Reni, widening it to discharge upto 10,000 cusecs, and covering an additional command area of Sanghar and Thar districts was being considered.

Mr Soomro said that in phase-2 the canal would be extended by another 210 kms upto Mithi where a second reservoir would be located having a storage capacity of 93,000 acre ft.

He said that it would be completed with an initial expenditure of Rs10 billion within four or five years.

WAPDA CHIEF: The chairman, Wapda, Gen Zulfiqar Ali Khan, said in Guddu that the Reni Canal Project would prove to be a milestone for future progress and prosperity of Sindh.