SUKKUR, Aug 16 The imposing structure of the 90-year-old Sukkur Barrage is fast losing its grandeur because of decades of wear and tear and lack of upkeep.

The 66-gate barrage with large network of canals on the right and left banks of the Indus River and one and a half kilometre long bridge needs urgent protection measures.

A survey of the barrage carried out on Friday showed that the sidewalks on both sides of the road had almost disappeared over the years due to lack of maintenance.

There are cracks in several arches and gates and signs of damage to pockets and embankments of the left side canal.

Heavy steel plates on both sides enable pillars to support arches in deep water.

In case of heavy traffic on the road of the barrage, the load is shifted to the steel fish plates passing through the arches.

Experts said that the structure was fast losing its utility and eventually it might become a white elephant due to lack of maintenance equipment.

The authorities concerned complain of paucity of funds and lack of required machinery to revamp the barrage structure. The sidewalk on both sides of the road could have been saved by the irrigation department, the experts said.

The survey found that the drainage system had collapsed and as a result the road is submerged during heavy rains.

The department is required to carpet the road and rebuild the sidewalk each year but nothing has been done over the years.

The chief engineer of the barrage, Haroon Memon, said he had informed the provincial and federal governments about the situation in a comprehensive report.

A PC-1 had been prepared for grant and the federal government had approved Rs2,478 million for rehabilitation of the barrage, he said, adding that he expected Rs1000 million would be released soon. The amount would enable the department to start work in two months and the remaining amount would be released in 2010-11, he said.

He said that top engineering firms of Pakistan, the UK, China and other countries would be invited through tenders of the barrage rehabilitation.

Mr Memon said that work would be distributed among different firms. It would be completed in phases and would include inserting concrete into the structure with the help of heavy machinery, he said.

He said the chief minister had released Rs6 million for carrying out desilting of canals and the area under the gates of the barrage. The work of desilting and levelling had already been started, he said.

The rehabilitation work, he said, which was scheduled to be completed in three years at a cost of Rs1 billion would give a new lease of life to the structure.

He dispelled a perception that nothing had been done for the barrage's maintenance and mentioned a number of measures taken by the department to keep this vital national asset in shape.