Washington DC, June 19, 2015 ─ The World Bank today approved US$188 million to improve the reliability and safety of the Guddu Barrage and strengthen the Sindh Irrigation Department’s capacity to operate and manage the barrages.

Sindh Barrages Improvement Project (SBIP) under which the Guddu Barrage rehabilitation will be carried out is needed due to natural ageing of the infrastructure. The rehabilitation work will eliminate possible sources of failure and potentially give the structure another 50 years of life.

“Barrages are strategic assets of Sindh and millions of people depend on the water that is controlled, diverted, and managed by them. Their continued operation and management require specialized expertise, experience, decision making, and continuity of operation”, says Rachid Benmessaoud, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. “In addition to physical rehabilitation of barrage infrastructure, this project will also support the Sindh Government in training and technical assistance in procurement, financial, social and environmental safeguards for operating hydraulic irrigation infrastructure.”
The SBIP will support the gate replacement works to improve the regulation and the flow of the barrage, the replacement of all 65 main barrage steel gates, 25 main canal head regulator gates, and hoist gears including all mechanical and electrical equipment. This project will also finance the independent Panel of Experts, who will review, monitor, evaluate, and help guide the rehabilitation process with regards to the safety of the barrage.

“The Guddu barrage constitutes the most strategic component of the large Indus Basin Irrigation System. The effective operation and structural stability are important for agricultural production and for averting potential disaster during floods.

The Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Plant is part of an under construction run-of-the-river hydroelectric power scheme designed to divert water from the Neelum River to a power station on the Jhelum River. The power station is located in Azad Kashmir, 22 km (14 mi) south of Muzaffarabad and will have an installed capacity of 968 MW. Construction on the project began in 2008 after a Chinese consortium was awarded the construction contract in July 2007. The first generator is scheduled to be commissioned in July 2017
The Neelum–Jhelum Dam will be a 47 m (154 ft) tall and 125 m (410 ft) long gravity dam. It will withhold a pondage (reservoir) with a 8,000,000 m3 (6,486 acre·ft) capacity of which 2,800,000 m3 (2,270 acre·ft) is peak storage. The dam diverts up to 280 m3/s (9,888 cu ft/s) of the Neelum southeast into a 28.5 km (18 mi) long head-race tunnel, the first 15.1 km (9 mi) of the head-race is two tunnels which later meet into one. The tunnel passes 380 m (1,247 ft) below the Jhelum River and through its bend. At the terminus of the tunnel, the water reaches the surge chamber which contains a 341 m (1,119 ft) tall surge shaft (to prevent water hammer) and a 820 m (2,690 ft) long surge tunnel. From the surge chamber, the water is split into four different penstocks which feed each of the four 242 MW Francis turbine-generators in the underground power house. After being used to generate electricity, the water is discharged southeast back into the Jhelum River at 34°10′29″N 73°29′34″E through a 3.5 km (2 mi) long tail-race tunnel. The drop in elevation between the dam and power station afford an average hydraulic head of 420 m (1,378 ft) the entire project is expected to be complete in December 2017.

The Kachhi Canal Project is located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is a 500 km long Canal currently being under construction out of which 300 km is in Punjab and 200 km is in Balochistan. It starts from Taunsa Barrage at Indus River. The canal, after its completion, will provide sustainable irrigation water supply to 7,13,000 acres of agricultural land thus bringing green revolution in Balochistan. Cost of the project, after its revision is now Rs.80.5 billion
The canal starts from Taunsa Barrage at river Indus. It passes through the districts of D.G. Khan & Rajanpur in Punjab and Dera Bugti, Naseerabad, Bolan and Jhal Magsi in Balochistan.
The project was inaugurated in October 2002 at Tausa Barrage. Completion of Project is scheduled in 3 phases [2]

Phase-I - in district Dera Bugti (will irrigate 102,000 acres)
Phase-II - in district Bolan & Naseerabad (will irrigate 267,000 acres)
Phase-III - in district Bolan, Naseerabad and Jhal Magsi(will irrigate 344,000 acres)
Several revised deadlines for completion of the project have been given in past but the project is not yet completed and work is ongoing in slow pace.

The Kachhi Canal Project is located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is a 500 km long Canal currently being under construction out of which 300 km is in Punjab and 200 km is in Balochistan. It starts from Taunsa Barrage at Indus River. The canal, after its completion, will provide sustainable irrigation water supply to 7,13,000 acres of agricultural land thus bringing green revolution in Balochistan. Cost of the project, after its revision is now Rs.80.5 billion
The canal starts from Taunsa Barrage at river Indus. It passes through the districts of D.G. Khan & Rajanpur in Punjab and Dera Bugti, Naseerabad, Bolan and Jhal Magsi in Balochistan.
The project was inaugurated in October 2002 at Tausa Barrage. Completion of Project is scheduled in 3 phases [2]