Workshop on Sediment Management at Sukkur Barrage holds in Hyderabad

By Rehan khan Khushik

HYDERABAD: Mr Edmond Atkinson sedimentation specialist UK has said that there are two broad issues regarding sedimentation at barrages of Sindh especially at Sukkur barrage like the issue of excessive sediment ingress to the right Bank canals and the reduced flood carrying capacity of the barrage. He said that these issues are tied together , not least because the measures implemented in the 1949s to address sediment ingress to the Right Bank canals reduced Barrage Flood Carrying capacity.
He was addressing the one day workshop on ” sediment management at Sukkur Barrage on friday august 5 at Gymkhana Hyderabad.
It was attended by irrigation and water experts and officials of Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages and discussed on major issue of sedimentation at three barrages of Sindh and its solution.
Project Director SBIP Sindh Barrages Improvement project Mr Ghulam Mohi u Ddin Mughal, Project Coordinator Planing and Development government of Sindh Ehsan Leghari,Mr Pretam Das MD SIDA, Mr Abdul Razak Memon Director SBIP, Dr Altaf Syal Dean Faculty of Engineering SAU, Prof Abdul Latif Qureshi of MUET Jamshoro, Abdullah Bhurgari SE Small Dams, Habibullah Ursani Director Hyderaulogy and research in Sindh, Sajid Ali Bhutto deputy project director SBIP, SE Kotri barrage Sohail Hameed Baloch , Technical officer SBIP Imran Aziz Tunio, Tariq Asad Ursani deputy director resettlement SBIP and Dr Ali Asgar Mahesar deputy director environment, other experts of irrigation and water Mr Faraz Ahmed Noonari, Akbar Theabo, Habib Rehman Rahmoon and Ghulam Sarwar Farooqi also discussed the sedimentation issues at Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages and advised its solution.
Mr Edmond Atkinson sedimentation specialist further said that there are several options to explore for addressing the sediment ingres into canals. He said that some sediment passing to the canals is good to enable a balance between sediment inflow and the canals sediment carrying capacity and it is excesses sediment entry that cause the problem.

He said that there are other options to address the sedimentation in the canals like degrading in canals, degrading in pockets, closing canals during peak times of flow, continue flushing using the pockets and Tail Channel, and intermittent flushing in the pockets. He said that regarding the 2 feet increase in pond level to 200ft, this will be good for all aspects of the sedimentation problem in the right bank canals. It will specially increase the effectiveness of flushing in the left and right pockets so long as the increased risk of local scour does not limit barrage gate openings.
It is possible that flushing may need to be undertaken as slightly lower water level than 209ft which will improve the effectiveness.
Project Director SBIP Sindh Barrages Improvement project Mr Ghulam Mohi u Ddin Mughal, Coordinator Planing and Development government of Sindh Ehsan Leghari, Mr Abdul Razak Memon Director SBIP distributed certificates among participants. Later,
Mr Edmond Atkinson sedimentation specialist visited the Kotri barrage and observed the sedimentation issues at barrage.
He was accompanied with irrigation officials SE Kotri Barrage Sohail Hameed Baloch, Engineer Kotri barrage Aurangzeb Memon and deputy project director SBIP Sajid Ali Bhutto.
Earlier he has also visited the Guddu and Sukkur Barrages over the sedimentation issue
He also held a meeting with irrigation officials.