Sukkur

Port in Sind province, Pakistan, on the River Indus, opposite the town of Rohri; population (1998 est) 329,200. The nearby Sukkur River–Lloyd Barrage (1928–32) uses waters from the Indus to irrigate up to 2 million ha/4.9 million acres. The barrage has a length of 1.6 km/1 mi and crosses the Indus below Sukkur Gorge. Sukkur is linked by rail with Quetta via the Bolan and Nari passes.

Waters impounded by the barrage are used in a system of irrigation canals which make possible the cultivation of large crops of wheat, millet, cotton, rice, oilseeds, and fruit. Sukkur is the commercial centre for these products which are also used in industries of the city, such as cotton ginning, and rice and flour milling. Other industries include boatbuilding, tanning, and the manufacture of cement and cigarettes.