01 June 2004	Tuesday	12 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

LAHORE, May 31: The shortage of water faced by the country has increased from 25 per cent in the last five-day period to a staggering 50 per cent as river flows have reduced from 238,000 cusecs on May 25 to 140,000 cusecs on Monday.

The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has cut provincial share accordingly and province were informed on Monday. The Punjab was told that it would be getting 18,600 cusecs for the next five days against 53,000 cusecs during last five- daily (May25 to 30) supplies.

The Punjab, however, lodged a protest with the Irsa for cutting its share by 6,000 cusecs in addition to the 50 per cent shortage, thus increasing its shortage to around 60 per cent. According to an official of the Punjab Irrigation Department, the Irsa has told them that it was further slashing Punjab's share to balance out provincial share.

This practice of balancing out share is normally done at the end of the season, not in the middle of it and certainly not when shortages are already as high as 50 per cent. The Punjab has warned Irsa that it would not be able to sow cotton as all its canals in the southern part of the province would now be running at paltry 30 per cent.

The only option that Punjab now has got is to empty Mangla dam which the authority wanted it to. But the trouble with Mangla water is that it takes around 10 days travel time to reach Punjab from where it can be fed to southern part where cotton is being sown.

If Mangla water is released on June 1, it would reach in the field after 15 days, whereas deadline for cotton sowing falls on 10th. That means that crucial period of cotton sowing would, in any way, be missed.

Additional risk of emptying Mangla dam, which is already 15 feet below the planned level, is that wheat next year would be at risk, bordering disastrous proportion, if is not filled this season.

Mangla dam on Monday stood at 1,122 feet against planned level of 1138 feet. The Punjab farmers, however, demanded of the government, to release all water from Mangla that its holds for cotton sowing.