Sukkur Barrage shuts for traffic owing to annual renovation

SUKKUR: Sukkur Barrage has been closed for vehicular traffic from Thursday (today) till January 30 for the purpose of annual inspection, maintenance and necessary repairs, ARY News reported.

Earlier, the Chief Engineer Irrigation Sukkur Barrage had announced that all canals off taking from Sukkur Barrage will remain closed from January 6 to 20, 2021 for the purpose of inspection, maintenance and necessary repairs of infrastructure.

The barrage pond would be reduced gradually from zero hours of the 6th January 2021. Its raising would again start from zero hour on 20th January 2021, the statement further said.

According to notification, there would be no flow of water in any of the off taking canals of the Sukkur Barrage, which is Pakistan’s largest irrigation system.

The decrease in the river water causes water shortage in Sukkur, the major city in upper Sindh on the bank of Indus river.

Sukkur Barrage has completed its 88 years since its inauguration on January 13 in year 1932 by British Viceroy of India Lord Wellington. The foundation stone of the barrage was laid on October 1923 by Bombay’s Governor George Lloyd.

The barrage has seven off-taking canals, out of which three – Dadu Canal, Rice Canal and North Western Canal (Kirthar) – are situated on right bank, and four – Khairpur Feeder West, Rohri Canal, Khairpur Feeder East and Nara Canal – are at the left bank of the Indus.