'Sukkur barrage rehabilitation to extend lifespan by 30 years'

KARACHI: Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro said on Monday that the ongoing rehabilitation of Sukkur barrage would increase its operational life by 30 years.

Speaking to the media during a visit to the barrage in Sukkur district, the minister said installation of 26 gates at the structure would be completed by June this year. He said the barrage, which has been in service for more than nine decades since commissioning, saw 17 of its 60 gates replaced during 2024-25.

Highlighting the importance of the barrage for the province, Shoro said, Around 90% of Sindh's agricultural land is irrigated by the canals flowing from this barrage.

He said the rehabilitation work would cost about Rs17 billion. Referring to recent damage to the barrage gates, the minister said strong cofferdams were being constructed to support the engineering work now under way.

Water shortage concerns

Shoro also said the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) had projected a 27% water shortage for the current season. In response to the expected shortfall, he said irrigation officials had carried out canal lining and desilting work to reduce water losses.

The minister urged farmers to adopt methods that use comparatively less water for crop irrigation, saying climate change had made such measures necessary.

Action against illegal sand lifting

Shoro also said action would soon be taken against traders involved in unlawful river sand extraction in the province. He said those lifting sand and selling it, mostly for construction purposes, would face action.

The Sukkur barrage is one of Sindh's key irrigation structures, and the minister's remarks linked its rehabilitation directly to the province's agricultural needs at a time when water availability is expected to remain under pressure this season.