SUKKUR: The irrigation department has begun work for the replacement of six damaged gates of Sukkur Barrage after closing the bridge for general traffic by deploying police and Rangers personnel on both sides of the barrage.

According to Sukkur Barrage’s control room incharge Abdul Aziz Soomro, the road of Sukkur Barrage has been closed for general traffic from Dec 24 to Dec 31.

He told that as per study report of the World Bank, cracks were unearthed in six gates of the barrage and in the light of such reports, six gates, from Gate No. 33 to Gate No. 39, were being replaced. The work on gates had been started through heavy crane and other heavy machinery, he added.

All 66 gates of the Sukkur Barrage were replaced in 1986 and now out of those, six gates were in deteriorated condition, he said, adding that condition of the remaining gates of the barrage were better.

He said Sukkur Barrage, which was constructed in 1932, was the biggest barrage of the world. From there at a time seven off-taking canals, including Khirthar Canal, Rice Canal, Dadu Canal, Khairpur East, Khairpur West, Nara and Mirwah canals, branched out and irrigated more than 8.4 million acres agricultural lands.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2020