Lloyd Barrage Museum
The Lloyd Barrage Museum in Sukkur, Pakistan, provides a detailed historical and informative view of the construction and operation of the Lloyd Barrage System. The Sukkur barrage is one of the world’s most critical engineering and hydrological masterpieces, bringing water to over eight million acres of land annually. Surprisingly, not many of us are aware of the Lloyd Barrage Museum. It is one of the most well-known Museums of Pakistan.
This Museum aims to educate children and adults about the water management system that works wonders in bringing water from the River Indus to irrigate the lands of the whole of Sindh. Visitors can also see a large relief map showing Pakistan’s entire irrigation system along with the Indus River. Touring this fascinating small Museum will leave you both informed and entertained.
History of the British Irrigation System
Due to the scarcity of groundwater, Sindh relies almost entirely on the water of the River Indus to survive. Around 1850, modern irrigation engineering work started, and the British built large canal systems while in power in Sub-continent. Thus, the British developed the world’s most extensive canal irrigation system.
The Sindh and Punjab regions saw the revival and modernization of many outdated canals and inundation channels. In Sindh, the British constructed the Sukkur Barrage, about a mile (1.6 km) long, in 1932. Its canals supply a cultivable area of roughly 5 million acres (2 million hectares) of land that grows food and cash crops.
The Government of Pakistan started a massive Sukkur Barrage rehabilitation project to improve its water storage capacity and distribution effectiveness. Pakistan Army Engineering Corps and Frontier Works Organization (FWO) began the project on November 22, 2004. It was finished ahead of schedule in July 2005 for a mere 15 million US dollars (US dollars). According to experts, the Barrage’s efficiency has reportedly improved for another 60 to 70 years.
Who Built the Barrage Museum?
The Sukkur government built Lloyd Barrage Museum Sukkur to display the history of the magnificent Sukkar barrage. Mr. C.A. Fife came up with the concept for the Sukkur Barrage in 1868. But in 1923, the project received final approval. Sir Charlton Harrison, CIE, served as the project’s chief engineer, and Sir Arnold Musto, CIE, served as the project’s architect and engineer. They finished Head Works and Canals by 1932. The first Earl of Willingdon, Viceroy of India, officially opened it after completion.
The British government named the Barrage after Sir George Lloyd, the Governor of Bombay, who had introduced the program. Syed Ghulam Mustafa of the Imperial Service and Pandurang Shinde, the latter in charge of the Radhanagari Dam in India, contributed significantly to the planning and construction of the Barrage. M.Vishveswaraya, a renowned civil engineer from India, provided his services for the construction of the waterworks.
When is the Best Time to Visit Lloyd Barrage Museum?
Planning a visit to the Lloyd Barrage Museum during winter is the best time for family and friends. The perfect outing is a museum dedicated to irrigation and supplying water from dams to rural areas. This Museum is educational and offers peace and solitude that one can gain from walking on the Sukkur Barrage. Visit this place with friends or family and enjoy the best experience.
Models Inside Lloyd Barrage Museum
Lloyd Barrage Museum Sukkur contains many models that aim to represent the information about the construction of Sukkur Barrage in a very professional manner. Inside the Museum, visitors can find models of how the Barrage looked and ran and how it stored the water to provide irrigation to a region. These models convey information about the Museum’s construction to visitors in a very professional manner.
Nara Canal Cross Section Model at Lloyd Barrage
Barrage Museum Sukkur contains a model of the Nara Canal Cross Section. The Nara Canal, one of the seven canals that branch off from this Barrage, is the longest in the country, carrying a discharge nearly equal to that of the River Thames in London and having a bed width of 1+12 times larger than the Suez Canal. In reality, the Nara Canal was not Man-made; instead, it was the southernmost portion of the Hakro River, which originated in the Sutlej foothills and flowed through the Punjab and Bhawalpur plains. Before connecting to the Nara Canal via the Raini River, the remains of it are in the Ghotki District of Sindh Province. Nara canal serves 2,300,000 acres of land.
Barrage Cross Section Model at Lloyd Barrage
Lloyd Barrage museum showcases a cross-section model of the Barrage, so travelers to this point can see how the parts fit together. It provides information about the design and showcases a 3D representation to demonstrate how it works. The diversion weir, dam, sluice gates, water intakes, and control systems are on the side walls.
Model of Special Repairs Carried on the Barrage Piers
It also displays a model of the Special repairs army engineers carried on the Barrage Piers. The government of Pakistan started this rehabilitation project to increase the efficiency and storage capacity of the Barrage.
Complete Model of Sukkur Barrage
One of the most informative parts of the Museum displays a complete model of the Sukkur barrage. It looks just like the initial Barrage. A display shows how different water levels in the canal can produce various outputs, and another shows how turbines work.
Samples of Materials Used in the Construction of the Barrage
Pieces of materials used in the barrage construction are also in the Museum. These samples include limestone, the Finest slit, Portland cement, gravel, crushed stone for arch work, coarsest slit, etc.
Old Machinery Used in the Construction of the Barrage
Inside this Museum, visitors can see tools and machinery used to build the Sukkur barrage, including a large crane, a boat, a small road roller, and a lathe for designing and cutting nuts and bolts.
Mixture Machinery at Lloyd Barrage
A Mixture Machinery is also on display used for mixing cement, water, and aggregates like sand or gravel uniformly to make concrete. This machine is portable, and engineers used it massively in the construction of Barrage.
Cement Injection Machine at Lloyd Barrage
Engineers used this cement injection machine to fill the cracks within the Barrage. When working on leak-proof constructions, it can generate high pressure. It injects chemical grouting materials into concrete cracks when the slurry quickly consolidates, inflates, emulsifies, and disperses.
Lathe Machine at Lloyd Barrage
A lathe machine is a stationary cutting device primarily used to shape workpieces made of metal and wood to fit in the Barrage. The lathe machine removes unnecessary components from the workpiece to produce the desired product. An operator controls the movements of a traditional lathe machine manually. This machine the British model was functional four years ago. The agricultural department used it for many years and then placed this machine in Barrage Museum.
Typewriter
A typewriter of a British model, frequently used in the documentation of Sukkur Barrage, is also on display. They press specific keys on the typewriter to print letters, numbers, or other characters onto paper.
Photo Gallery
Lloyd Barrage Museum Sukkur has a photo gallery in which travelers of the place can enjoy a guided tour through the history of the step-by-step construction of the Sukkur barrage and its importance to Pakistan.
Central Library of Museum
The Lloyd Barrage museum Sukkur has a library within its walls. The library is relatively small but has a selection of books about the waterworks, some fiction and non-fiction pieces about other irrigation projects, and books on related engineering topics.
Barrage Museum Tickets & Timings
Barrage Museum Sukkur remains open for visitors from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. This Museum is free to visit for everyone. Visitors are welcome to view its exhibits.
Location of Lloyd Barrage Museum Sukkur
The “Lloyd Barrage” museum, a well-kept, tidy museum that provides information about the construction of this magnificent project, is located on the left bank, just 100 yards from the Barrage itself on Arore Nara canal road Rohri, Sukkur, Sindh.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many doors of Sukkur Barrage are there?
The one-mile-long Barrage has 66 gates to harness and control irrigation water. The Barrage feeds seven canals, four on the right and three on the left, which irrigate most of upper Sindh and some of southern Baluchistan.
Why was Sukkur Barrage built-in Sukkur?
The British government built this Barrage in Sukkur to cultivate areas in Pakistan’s Sindh province. Because there is so little groundwater available, Sindh relies almost entirely on the water of the River Indus.
On which river is Sukkur Barrage built?
British built the Sukkur barrage on the Indus River about three miles below the Railway Bridge. The Sukkur Barrage, the world’s most extensive single irrigation network of its kind, is the pride of Pakistan’s irrigation system. Nearly the entire province of Sindh is irrigated, from the Sukkur district in the north to the Tharparkar and Hyderabad districts in the south.
Conclusion
The Lloyd Barrage is an enormous piece of the vast British irrigation system. Lloyd Barrage Museum Sukkur is a well-designed museum that sheds light on the incredible engineering feat of the Sukkur Barrage. Learning about this unique irrigation system is an enriching experience for visitors. When you go to the Museum, read the information provided, and we promise you’ll learn something new.