ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Thursday made water allocations for three major projects and decided in principle to issue no-objection certificates (NOCs).

Informed sources told Dawn that Irsa had issued an NOC to the Sindh government for the remodelling of Nara Canal by raising its capacity from 13,500 cusec to 20,000 cusec.

The meeting presided over by Irsa Chairman and member from Punjab Shafqat Masood was informed that the Nara canal project had been approved before the 1991 water accord. Irsa approved the remodelling of the project and asked the Sindh irrigation department to submit its pre-accord approval to Irsa.

The authority also approved in principle allocation of about 882 cusec of water from Chashma-Jhelum Link canal for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-II for cooling purposes.

Irsa, however, asked the management of Chashnupp-II to install a gauge at the place where the water falls again into the canal to certify that the whole quantity had returned to the canal without wastage.