Wapda to hand over Rainee Canal Project to Sindh next year

Wapda will hand over Rainee Canal Project to the Irrigation Department of Sindh by June 30, 2021 after completion of rehabilitation work.
According to official documents available with Business Recorder, phase-I of the project stands completed since 2014 and as per approved PC-I the project after completion had to be handed over by Wapda to the Irrigation Department of Sindh, which is not willing to take over the project due to deteriorated condition of canal work.
After constant pursuance by Wapda, a joint inspection of the completed work by the Irrigation Department and Wapda was made as a result of which, rehabilitation work amounting to Rs576.623 million was estimated and included in the revised PC-I in addition to the cost already incurred.
According to the joint study, the project would be handed over to the Irrigation Department of Sindh by June 30, 2021 after clearing outstanding liabilities and completion of rehabilitation work.
According to official documents, the project originally envisaged construction of 174-km-long canals (including 110-km Phase-I and 64-km Phase-II) having 609-km-long distribution system to irrigate a total 412,400 acres in the first phase and 298,719 acres in the second phase at a design discharge of 5,500 cusecs in the districts of Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur and Khairpur.
Work on the project was started in October 2002 and was scheduled to be completed in September 2008.
Only Phase-I of the project having a length of 110 kilometers with design discharge of 1,425 cusecs could be completed at the cost of Rs20.533 billion. Since this canal was designed as a flood canal, the Sindh government doesn't find it feasible to construct the 2nd phase.
The project is related to issue of water scarcity, vulnerability of infrastructure from floods and increased poverty in the backward irrigated areas.