HYDERABAD: Show-cause notices were issued to six former chief and superintending engineers of Sukkur Barrage by the Sindh chief secretary in the wake of an inquiry committee’s recommendations to the irrigation department.
The recommendations were submitted to the CS following the June 20 damage to several gates of the barrage.
The notices have been drafted by the irrigation department in the light of the five-member inquiry committee headed by Ghulam Mohiuddin Mughal, the project director of the Sindh Barrages Improvement Programme (SBIP).
SBIP is funded by World Bank to modernise and rehabilitate Sukkur and Guddu barrages.
Since the recipients were BS-19 and BS-20 officers, CM’s approval was mandatory for the issuance of such notices. Now after CM’s approval, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah has signed the notices. The officers have been given 14 days to show cause as to why proposed actions, minor or major, should not be taken against them.
The content of each notice appeared same, mentioning that “as per site visit report of Manferd Hader (Panel of Experts) and local mechanical team in 2018 it was advised that periodic inspections should be carried out for proper functioning or operation of gated structures and hoisting system but contrary to this officer(s) failed to follow advice resultantly damage to gate No. 44 & 47 occurred on June 20”.
It said committee identified significant corrosion of gates, severely reducing their structural strength. Additionally, considerable wear and tear were observed and major overhaul — supposed to be carried out earlier — was not executed leading to substantial loss of mechanical properties of gate plates, webs and grinders.
It mentioned that the committee believed that gate failures resulted from various factors, besides deferred maintenance, over recent years. Severely corroded condition of gates shows that timely painting and necessary repairs were neglected.
The 2018 report and recommendations of the panel of experts provided a timely alarm before actual mishap. There was sufficient time for the barrage authorities to undertake preventive repairs which could have averted the damage.
The notice said inspection protocols were neglected for many years, leading to undetected weakness in structure which tantamount to sheer negligence on the part of officer(s).
Inspection protocol requires CEs, SEs, XENs AENs and sub-engineers to inspect all components of barrage and gates whereas inspection report for 2024 closure showed none of inspection sheets had signatures of CEs, SEs and XENs reflecting protocols’ neglect.
The committee observed maintenance and repair funds allocated for Sukkur barrage were spent on unnecessary and unimportant works during officer’s posting.
Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2024
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