Sukkur Barrage
The Sukkur Barrage, originally known as the Lloyd Barrage, is located on the Indus River in Sukkur District, Sindh, Pakistan. Constructed during the British Raj, work began in 1923 and the barrage became operational in 1932.
Capacity & Features
At the time of its completion, it was considered an engineering marvel, with an original flood discharge capacity of around 1.5 million cusecs. The structure consists of 66 spans, each about 60 feet wide. It feeds seven major canals—four on the left bank and three on the right—including the Nara, Rohri, Rice, Dadu, and Khairpur Feeders. Through this extensive canal system, the barrage irrigates between 7 and 8 million acres of farmland in Sindh.
Why It’s Worth Visiting
The barrage isn’t just an engineering structure; it has many attractions for visitors. Built during the colonial era, it offers a look into heritage and history, early-20th-century engineering, and how water infrastructure shaped Sindh. Close by is the Lloyd Barrage Museum, which displays models, photographs, artifacts, and machinery related to the barrage’s construction.
Challenges, Changes & Rehabilitation
Over time, the barrage has faced wear, siltation, reduced capacity, damaged gates, and the need for modernization. These are some of the recent developments:
- Reduction in capacity: From the original ~1.5 million cusecs, its flood capacity has dropped to about 0.9-1.15 million cusecs. Because some gates were closed permanently due to silting or damage.
- Damaged gates: In June 2024, several gates (for instance, Gate-47 and others) were damaged by river flows.
- Rehabilitation: Under the Sindh Barrages Improvement Project (SBIP) funded by the World Bank, modernization is underway: replacing mechanical components, improving gates, civil works, monitoring systems, etc.
- Gate Replacement: Already, 16 gates (from bay numbers 44 to 59) have been replaced (Phase I). Another 28 are planned in Phase II, along with other auxiliary gates.
- Cost & Project Scale: The CRBC-Hubei Shuizong JV is doing much of the contracted rehabilitation work (structure, gates, desilting, etc.), with costs running into tens of billions of rupees.