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Why is the Sukkur Barrage important for farming in Sindh?

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Physical map showing the Indus River basin and its drainage network across parts of Pakistan, India, China, and Afghanistan. The map details river courses, tributaries, canals, dams, irrigated and marsh areas, sand regions, and elevation changes with shaded relief. International, disputed, and control boundaries are marked, and a small locator map in the corner shows the basin's position within South Asia. — Indus River The Indus River basin and its drainage network.

The Sukkur Barrage, completed in 1932, is a vital piece of irrigation infrastructure on the Indus River in the Sindh province of Pakistan.12

Its importance to regional farming stems from its ability to divert river water into an extensive network of canals. This system serves a cultivable area of approximately 5 million acres (2 million hectares), providing the necessary water supply to support the production of a wide variety of food and cash crops, including wheat, cotton, rice, oilseeds, and fruits. By regulating the flow of the Indus, the barrage ensures a consistent water source for these agricultural lands, which are located in a region characterized by vast alluvial plains.12