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The repair work of Sukkur Barrage has entered in the middle phase and expected to be completed by the deadline of April 15. With its structure of yellow stones and steel over the River Indus, Sukkur Barrage stands as the worlds biggest irrigation system. Once the repair work is completed by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), it is hoped that the Barrage would meet the agricultural needs of Sindh and Balochistan for another three decades.
Recently, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, and Director General (DG) FWO Major General Shahid Niaz and Engineer-in-Chief of Pakistan Army Lieutenant General Mohammad Zubair had separately visited the Sukkur Barrage to review the on-going repair work, construction of the two coffer-dams and the Ruk Head work of Dadu Canal.
Sukkur Barrage, with 7 canals on its right and left embankments, controls more than 8 million acres agriculture land spread over a vast part of lower Sindh and some parts of upper Sindh and Balochistan.
Architectural beauty and engineering skills in the construction of Sukkur Barrage revolutionised the irrigation system in this part of the country after its completion in 1932.
The vast desert tracts of Sindh started blooming, the barren virgin lands in the Indus valley were converted into lush green fields.
President General Pervez Musharraf assigned over rupees one billion repair work of Sukkur Barrage to FWO and Military Engineering Services (MES) without involving a bidding process to avoid the bureaucratic delays.
Commander of FWO Task Force Brigadier Javed Ashraf Daiwa told APP that the major repair work of the barrage would be completed by the FWO, while MES was providing consultancy services to the farmers.
The decision for handing-over the work to Pakistan Army was made by President Musharraf on the request of Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, who had informed the President that Sindh government had no expertise to undertake the major repair work of the barrage.
Consequently it was the last week of November, 2004 when the FWO mobilised its machinery, equipment and manpower to the project site for initiating preliminary work including the construction of two coffer-dams, while the detailed rehabilitation work was started in January last.
If the problem of some major cracks in the Bay No 1 and 2 of the main structure of the Barrage had not been attended on priority last year, it would have caused a major havoc to the Barrage in the situation of a high flood.
Task Force Chief Brig, Daiwa said the prime objective of this plan is the safety of the Barrage and also to induct long-term measures in future, so that it serve the agriculture and economic interests of Sindh province and the country for next three or four decades.
Besides, an associated requirement would be to upgrade the technical capability of the barrage divisions through training and other necessary skill, which is a part of the over all programme for the barrage rehabilitation, he said.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during his recent visit had complemented FWO personnel for doing a wonderful job, which he called "a gigantic task of national importance."
He further said that Sukkur Barrage has tremendous importance for the national economy, as it irrigates more than 8 million acres land of Sindh and Balochistan. He had also asked the director general of the FWO for taking long-term measures, on which he was informed that this aspect was also being given due importance once the rehabilitation plan was completed by April 23.
Meanwhile, the FWO contributed efforts on day and night-basis during the closure period of Sukkur Barrage from January 01 to 23, 2005 in which they fulfilled the damage caused to the Bay No 1 and 2 of the right bank and also completed the repair work of Dadu Canal near Ruk Regulator.
Brigadier Bajwa proudly stated here that the Sukkur Barrage task was accepted by them as a challenge and he was confident that it would be completed by the deadline of April 15, 2005.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2005

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