ISLAMABAD:
The World Bank approved on Friday a $188 million loan for consolidation of Guddu Barrage, the most strategic component of the Indus Basin irrigation system. Rehabilitation work on Kotri Barrage was carried out in 2000.
Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri, the three largest barrages built between 1932 and 1962, are managed by the provincial irrigation department.
The oldest of the three, Sukkur Barrage irrigates around 3m hectares of farmland and keeps enforcing safety measures and renovation on and off.
International Development Association, the low-interest arm of World Bank, approved the funding to increase the barrage’s lease of life by another 50 years, besides strengthening the Sindh Irrigation Department’s capacity to operate and manage barrages.
