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| January 23, 2003 | Thursday | Ziqa’ad 19, 1423 |
Punjab to save 70,000 cusecs
LAHORE, Jan 22: The Punjab irrigation department would save some 70,000 cusecs of water with the extension in canal closure period and bring down shortages by three per cent for the rest of Rabi season.
Sources in the department said on Wednesday that the province had been drawing around 5,000 cusecs of water daily from the Mangla Dam before it decided to extended canal closure for 14 days, and save around 70,000 cusecs (0.14 million acre feet) of water. Currently, water is not being drawn from the Mangla Dam.
The Punjab had used 9.338maf of water till last Monday out of its share of 12.972maf, sustaining a shortage of 28 per cent as against 38 per cent calculated for the entire season. It now feared 48 per cent shortage during the rest of the Rabi season. However, with the extension of canal closure due to foggy weather which is said to be providing the required moisture to wheat crop, it might be able to bring down shortages to 45 per cent during the next two months.
“The shortages could further go down if inflows to Jhelum improve during the next one week,” said an official of the department. Though the national rivers are going through a lean period and chances of their improvement will be minimum during the next few days, but any rain in catchment areas could change the situation for the better, he said.
Since the stoppage of outflow from Mangla Dam 10 days ago, dam’s water level has gone up by almost five feet. On Jan 12, when the department decided to keep its canals closed for another two weeks, the dam level was 1086.80 feet. On Jan 22, it had gone up to 1091.20 feet.
The province plans to open some of its canals — Upper Pakpattan, Lower Chenab and Lower Jhelum — during the next few days, but that will depend on repair works going on there.
The provincial irrigation authorities want to ensure that water in both dams lasts up to March 31. However, both dams are likely to get empty during February or first week of March, with the remaining three weeks depending on river supplies.
Meanwhile, the situation in Tarbela and Mangla dams improved on Wednesday with the total inflow exceeding releases. The combined river flow was recorded at 30,200 cusecs and total releases at 22,900 cusecs.
Tarbela Dam stood at 1420.34 feet — 51.34 feet above the dead level — and housed 1.21 million acre feet of water. The dam had only 0.719maf of water on the corresponding date last year. The Indus brought 13,500 cusecs and carried away 10,000 cusecs.
Similarly, Mangla Dam level was recorded at 1090.65 feet — 50.65 feet above the dead level — with 0.401maf of water. Jhelum supplied 3,800 cusecs of water and there were no releases. Chenab registered an inflow of 7,400 while Kabul brought 5,500 cusecs.
According to the barrage report, inflow and outflow were 18,700 cusecs at Jinnah Barrage, 18,300 and 23,000 at Chashma, 25,500 and 25,500 at Taunsa, 18,300 and 12,200 at Guddu, 4,300 and 4,300 at Sukkur and 3,800 and 0 at Kotri. — Ahmad Fraz Khan
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