Chinese team visits Sukkur Barrage

SUKKUR, March 27: A team of seven Chinese engineers visited Sukkur Barrage, its off-taking canals and 66 gates. Led by Seng Ming Hai, the team was briefed by superintending engineer of the irrigation department Wali Mohammad Naich, executive engineer of Sukkur Barrage Aftab Khoso and assistant executive engineer Sattar Sario, shown the structure and maps of Sukkur Barrage on a laptop. It was informed that the barrage was built in 1836 for 900,000 cusecs of water and its capacity was later increased to 1.5 million cusecs. The Chinese team was also informed about the work carried out on the barrage over the past years and the canal irrigation system. The officials said engineers had decided at the time of construction that 10 gates of the barrage would remain closed for stopping silt. They said that if the gates were not closed, silt would go into the canals off-taking from the barrage. A point taken up during the discussion was that if the barrage authorities were compelled to open all the 10 gates in case of super flash flood, what kind of machinery would be required to remove the silt from around the gates and how much time it would take to open them after keeping them closed for so many years. The engineers also exchanged views on measures to be taken during the flood season to strengthen the barrage wall, divert water from different locations for protection of the barrage and protective bunds from Guddu to Thatta. Irrigation officials told this correspondent that the Chinese team had visited Kotri Barrage on Saturday and would visit Guddu Barrage and Qadirpur Loop Bund Ghotki on Monday. Later they will go to Tori Bund, Akil Agahi Bund and then to Dadu to inspect the protective bunds in the area. According to the officials, the Chinese engineers said they would prepare a report after the inspection of barrages and protective bunds in the province . After that it would be decided that where the work would be taken up first and what machinery would be required to do the job, they said. They said they would submit the report to the Chinese government which would decide about the course of action and the level of help.