The Sukkur Barrage is one of the most important Barrages on the river Indus. Containing 66, 18m wide spans, each with a 50 ton gate; it is used to control water flow from the Indus River for the irrigation of more than 5 million acres of land. This is the largest irrigation network of the world consisting of approximately 9923 km of canals and is the lifeline of the Sindh province.
The barrage was constructed in 1932 under the British rule and a long time period has elapsed than its predicted life of 60 years. The barrage also endured a very high pressure during the recent floods and is in a weakened state. In the light of this knowledge, it has become vital for the barrage to be rehabilitated.
Opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah had also previously raised this issue with the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, calling for immediate reconstruction of the barrage. A study was conducted by the World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism (WISP) for the modernization of the barrage under the guidance of the World Bank.
However issues of financing the project have hindered any progress with the provincial government calling for the federal government to provide finances. This issue should be given immediate attention as the summer season brings threats of further flooding and the government should start work on the barrage as soon as possible.