ISLAMABAD, March 4: The dead-level of Tarbela Dam has been pushed down by four feet, reducing it from 1,369 feet to 1,365 feet, with immediate effect, ensuring water availability for four more days, Dawn learnt here on Thursday.
Sources said that a decision to reduce Tarbela dam's dead level was taken by Water and Power Development Authority on the request of the Indus River System Authority in view of the higher than 11 per cent water shortage anticipated last week.
They said that an Irsa meeting was being convened early next week to further cut the provincial water share for the next 10- days, adding Balochistan and the NWFP would continue to be exempted from any further cut as usual because of their lack of utilisation infrastructure.
The reduction in Tarbela Dam's 'dead level' would put around 40,000 cusecs of additional water at Irsa's disposal for distribution among the provinces. Water level in Mangla dam has already touched 'dead level' as it reached 1,370.75-foot level at Tarbela dam on Thursday against its original 'dead level' of 1,369 feet.
"It is estimated that the total water shortage would finally touch 13-14 per cent during the current Rabi season and water releases would be based on run-of-the-river basis in the next three days from both the reservoirs", a senior government officials said.
Water releases from Mangla are currently made strictly on the basis of river water as it has already reached its 1,040 feet dead-level. The river flow at Mangla was recorded at 20,776 cusecs against an outflow of 21,591 cusecs.
