Sukkur Barrage modernization reaches major milestone

Sukkur – A significant phase of the historic rehabilitation and modernization of the Sukkur Barrage has been successfully completed. Murad Ali Shah, the Chief Minister of Sindh formally inaugurated the completed phase of the project.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Murad Ali Shah said that Sukkur Barrage is a guarantee of Sindh’s agricultural future and is closely linked to Pakistan’s food security. He noted that the Indus irrigation network is critically important for the country’s economy, food security, and flood protection and that its modernization represents a major milestone for Sindh’s water security and agricultural development.

He stated that the project costing Rs 23.43 billion will secure the future of hundreds of thousands of farming families. The upgraded Sukkur Barrage will strengthen the irrigation system and improve the province’s ability to cope with flood risks.

The Chief Minister highlighted that, for the first time in nearly a century, the barrage’s floor and key infrastructure have undergone comprehensive rehabilitation. A total of 44 gates have been replaced with modern systems making water distribution and monitoring significantly more efficient.

He added that while the original target was to replace 32 gates, 44 gates were ultimately replaced demonstrating the government’s commitment to the project. More than 600,000 farming families depend on the Sukkur Barrage for their livelihoods and the modernized structure will continue serving Sindh’s agricultural sector for decades.

Murad Ali Shah also directed the Irrigation Department to ensure the timely completion of the remaining project work by June 2027.

He explained that the project is being implemented under the Sindh Barrages Improvement Project with financial assistance from the World Bank. The modernization of Pakistan’s largest irrigation system is expected to benefit millions of acres of agricultural land.

During the briefing, Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro and Irrigation Secretary Zarif Khero informed the Chief Minister that rehabilitation and modernization work on both Guddu Barrage and Sukkur Barrage is being carried out under the project.

The Guddu Barrage rehabilitation project was successfully completed at a cost of Rs 9.585 billion with all 56 main gates and 25 canal head regulator gates replaced.

Officials further stated that the upstream and downstream floors of Sukkur Barrage along with other key structural components have been reconstructed and rehabilitated. This marks the first large-scale modernization of the barrage’s floor and associated structures in nearly 100 years enhancing its capacity to safely handle large and extraordinary flood flows.

The Chief Minister was informed that the replacement of all 44 barrage gates and the hoisting system has been completed. Repair work on all 44 bays has also been successfully finalized.

The 94-year-old Sukkur Barrage is considered the lifeline of Sindh’s agriculture. It irrigates approximately 3.1 million hectares of land and supplies water to seven major canals.

Each newly installed barrage gate weighs around 50 tons. To manufacture the gates locally, two specialized workshops were established in Sukkur. The local fabrication process involved 51 local workers and 10 Chinese experts.

Officials also noted that under various construction contracts, 70% of the workforce consisted of local employees while a 45-member environmental and social protection team remained actively engaged throughout the project to ensure environmental and community safeguards.