HYDERABAD:The World Bank’s co-team leader for Sindh Irrigation and Water Transformation (SWAT) project Francios Onimus has said 116 kilometers long Akram Canal, which springs from Kotri barrage in Jamshoro district, is going to be rehabilitated.
At a meeting in the office of Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) here on Friday Onimus apprised that after the rehabilitation the canal would start taking water as per its capacity of 4,200 cusecs, up from the existing peak of 2,700 cusecs.
He recalled that the canal was commissioned in 1964 with a capacity of 4,200 cusecs but it could carry a maximum of 2,700 cusecs because of technical faults.
He said under the project the canal would undergo lining, reinforcement of its embankments, hydraulic structure head regulators and cross regulators besides construction of some bridges and retaining wall.
According to Onimus, the lining work would be carried out on a stretch of 59 km from Reduced Distance (RD) 0 to RD 19 where the canal’s structure was in a bad shape.
He told that an 11 km long retaining wall over the banks of the canal would be built in Hyderabad from RD 0 to RD 39.
Onimus informed that 4 cross regulators, 13 head regulators and one escape structure would be built.
Furthermore, he said, the feasibility study of NWC, Dadu and Rice canals for future rehabilitation was also part of the project.
The Managing Director of SIDA Preetam Das said the authority had a good team of engineers who would work with the bank’s team over the project.
Later the officials visited the SIDA’s hydraulic laboratory and checked the canal modernization model.