'Sukkur barrage passing through litmus test after repair'

Sukkur Barrage after repair and rehabilitation is passing through a litmus test vis-à-vis the flow of 500,000 cusecs flood water. Quality of work on the project is its distinguished feature, which speaks the amount of commitment and national spirit among the country's armed forces.
Had the steps not taken timely, people of Sindh would have thrust into a starvation state like that in Ethiopia.
These views were expressed by Commander Frontier Works Organisation's Task Force for rehabilitation and mending of Sukkur Barrage, Brigadier Javed Ashraf Bajwa, chief engineer Sukkur Barrage Muhammad Nawaz Memon and former Sindh minister for agriculture, a leading agriculturist Hassan Ali Chahneo, while speaking at a PTV programme on Saturday.
Brigadier Bajwa said the top leadership after visualising the emergency, gave the task to FWO to which the organisation accepted as a challenge. The organisation in co-ordination with other concerned departments and with full backing of the government, undertook the project as teamwork and made it a success story, he said.
Despite the compulsions of time limits, no compromise was made over the quality of work during the process, he said, adding the project was accomplished totally by the local experts and work-force.
Nawaz Memon said the damage was assessed in January 2004 when there were only few months ahead for the beginning of the monsoon season. Some initial measures were taken at that time to avert a major disaster, which was of course not a permanent solution of the issue, he said.
The matter was brought into the notice of President Musharraf, who took the urgent notice of the situation and assigned the task to FWO under the personal supervision of Engineer-in-Chief General Zubair.
Being an organised institution, the Pak Army worked round-the-clock on the project and accomplished it before the target time, he said, adding the quality of work on this project has been appreciated by all who visited the site.
Hassan Ali Chahneo said: "The Sukkur Barrage contributes a lot not only in the economy of Sindh province but also in the national economy." Explaining he said, share of this barrage in national economy is 22 percent while in provincial economy it make 75 percent contribution.
He said: "The people in interior Sindh are either employed in agriculture sector or they do nothing."
President General Pervez Musharraf has shown special proximity with the people of Sindh by taking timely action about the repair of this barrage, he said.