HYDERABAD: Rehab­ilitating Johi branch’s old Kari Mori aqueduct would be a futile exercise given its shabby condition, says chief engineer of Sukkur Barrage’s right bank region Sohail Hameed Baloch.

Speaking to Dawn over phone after failure of a multi-million rupee scheme to control the deluge passing through the Kari Mori branch in the trial phase, he explained that the aqueduct — the exclusive source of irrigation water supply to Johi taluka — had remained nonfunctional even after its repair.

The Johi branch emanates from Dadu Canal of Sukkur Barrage’s right bank. It has a discharge capacity of around 1,250 cusecs from its head ever since it was redesigned. The channel supplies water for the rice growing areas of Johi taluka. The old aqueduct crosses Johi Branch at RD-77 and RD-210 of Main Nara Valley (MNV) drain’s left bank to carry flows for Johi.

The aqueduct faced serious damage when its piers sunk due to excessive flows in the MNVD during Sept 2022 rainfall and subsequent floodwaters coming from Balochistan.

Johi has been facing water shortage since September 2022. Irrigation authorities tried rigorously to rehabilitate the old aqueduct by carrying out repairs but in vain. Only partial supplies into Johi branch could be ensured.

Weakening of Kari Mori aqueduct threatens commuters, likely to deprive Johi of water

“We can hardly provide 40pc of discharge in Johi branch through this old aqueduct which is still under rehabilitation. It is wastage of money on old aqueduct. We must complete new structure as quickly as possible as it is the only way to ensure required flows,” chief engineer Baloch told said.

“It will be an exercise in futility if we keep rehabilitating the old structure, which in deplorable condition,” he stated.

He maintained that sheet pile methodology was used after the structure collapsed in November and again in Dec 2023 during a trial phase. “But even the sheet piles methodology, which is considered safest, didn’t work and water flows leaked only to enter MNV drain’s flows [effluent],” CE Baloch conceded.

Required flows were not being provided through this under-repair structure of aqueduct, he said.

Vitality of new aqueduct

A new aqueduct is being under World Bank funded (WB) Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Programme (SFERP) a few hundred feet upstream MNVD whilst and bridge would be constructed around 375ft upstream MNV drain in future. Work on it is under way and likely to be completed by March 2024.

Threat to commuters’ lives

Superintending Engineer Southern Sindh Circle Dadu on Dec 28 requested Dadu’s deputy commissioner to ensure suspension of all kinds of traffic over the old aqueduct at Kari Mori considering it poor condition.

He has informed the DC that the aqueduct structure poses risk to commuters. “Its structural condition has been significantly weakened over time and needs swift intervention to prevent accidents, misshape,” he said.

His letter read: “there is apprehension that further damage may occur to the old aqueduct bridge due to consistent traffic loads … this situation threatens to cut off supply of irrigation water to population living Johi branch downstream”.

He sought deployment of police to ensure suspension of traffic flow over aqueduct.

Action against senior engineers

Lately, following last month’s enquiry into failure of aqueduct repair works and subsequent collapse, Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retired) Maqbool Baqar gave his assent to Irrigation Minister Ishwar Lal’s recommendation to suspend Sukkur Barrage’s left bank chief engineer Syed Sardar Shah, superintending engineer Riaz Ahmed Bhurgari and executive engineer Bal Ram for negligence and unprofessional conduct in the repair works of Kari Mori aqueduct.

Accordingly, Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Farkhre Alam suspended CE Sardar Shah (BS-20) and Riaz Ahmed Bhurgari (BS-19).

The irrigation department has recommended a panel of three officials — Sohail Hameed Baloch (chief engineer of the Sukkur Barrage’s right bank), Pritam Das (managing director of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority), and Riaz Shah (chief engineer Develop­ment Region-II) — to fill the posts.

Bal Ram, the executive engineer (BS-18) has also been suspended for 90 days along with his two senior subordinate officers a few days back.

CM was said to have approved name of Sohail Baloch for posting as CE Left Bank Sukkur Barrage but a notification is not issued. Closure of Sukkur barrage would start from January’s first week. Currently Kotri barrage’s annual closure for maintenance was under way which would end on Jan 10.

Collapse of aqueduct

On Dec 5, repair work of the aqueduct was completed and water was released the next day but the structure could not sustain pressure and collapsed in the early hours of Dec 6.

Then Kotri Barrage Chief Engineer Haji Khan Jamali, under irrigation minister’s instructions, had visited the site on Dec 6.

According to the preliminary enquiry, curtain wall at the site was not well built to resist water pressure and it was major cause of ‘failure’ of the entire repair work.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2024