Sukkur Barrage, Irrigation barrage in Sukkur, Pakistan.
Sukkur Barrage is a water control structure built across the Indus in Sindh province, Pakistan, with 66 large gates that regulate the river flow. Each gate spans 18 meters (59 feet) across, and the entire installation channels water into a network of canals for agricultural irrigation.
Construction started in 1923 under British engineer Sir Charlton Harrison and finished in 1932. This project transformed water management in Sindh and allowed the expansion of irrigated farmland throughout the province.
Farmers across the region have relied on this structure for decades, drawing water to irrigate their fields and sustain their crops. Rice, cotton, and sugarcane grow along the canals, while nearby villages follow the rhythm of irrigation cycles that shape daily life.
Seven main canals branch off from the installation and distribute water over large distances from Sukkur in the north to Mirpurkhas in the south. Visitors can view the facility along the access roads and watch the operation of the gates.
The Nara Canal, which starts here, carries a volume of water comparable to the River Thames and ranks as the longest irrigation canal in the region. Its gates open and close according to set patterns that govern water distribution across wide stretches of the province.
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