February 25, 2003	Tuesday	Zul Hijjah 23, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 24: The Indus River System Authority has asked the Water and Power Development Authority to release 3,000 cusec water from Mangla Dam to flush out increasing silt that posed a threat to power turbines.

Sources told Dawn that Wapda had informed Irsa that water would have to be released from the dam on an emergency basis so that silt could not pile up.

The sources said that heavy silt had accumulated in the dam after the recent rains that could damage the power turbines in case it was not immediately flushed out.

On the request of Wapda, Irsa sought the opinion of the Punjab irrigation authorities and allowed Wapda to release 3,000 cusecs from the reservoir on technical grounds. The release would also enable Wapda to generate power in the peak hours, said an Irsa official.

Meanwhile, a special meeting of the Indus River System Authority has been convened to take the provinces into confidence about increased water level in the two reservoirs and revise their allocations for the remaining period of the Rabi season.

Irsa would also consider a special audit of its activities, which according to some members of the authority was unnecessary as a routine audit was already under way.

The sources said that Irsa had refused to provide a car to a joint secretary of the finance ministry for his personal use which resulted into cuts in its annual grants, delayed release of salaries of Irsa employees on various grounds and special audit.

When contacted the joint secretary concerned declined to comment.