ISLAMABAD, March 22: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has started saving water in reservoirs for Kharif season starting from April 1 owing to favourable impact of the current rainy trend. Sources told Dawn on Wednesday that water storage in Mangla and Tarbela dams was touching the dead-level about a week ago but a sizable quantity of water has now accumulated since then.
The sources said that build up of storage in dams has started despite over 63,000 cusec releases to provinces as per their indents for the last watering during the ongoing Rabi season.
The water level in Mangla Dam has increased to 1,055 feet against its dead-level of 1,040 feet. Storage in Tarbela Dam has also increased to 1,372.30 feet on Wednesday against its dead-level of 1,369 feet.
Sindh was currently drawing about 25,000 cusec from the Indus system. Punjab was drawing a total of 37,000 cusec per day including 6,000 cusec per day from Indus and 31,000 cusec from Mangla-Chenab system.
A total of about 16,500 cusec per day was being stored in the two dams including about 3,800 in Tarbela Dam and 12,500 cusec in Mangla Dam. The two provinces — Punjab and Sindh — have shared about 17 per cent water shortage during the Rabi season.
The sources said the recent rains have improved flows in Kabul, Indus and Jhelum rivers and that has enabled Irsa to meet provincial indents for the final watering and save reasonable quantities for the next season.
The sources said that the technical committee of Irsa was expected to meet in the last week of the current month to finalize overall anticipated water availability for the Kharif season (April 1 to September 30).
It would be followed by a meeting of the advisory committee of Irsa in the first week of the next month to finalize water distribution plan on the basis of provincial indents for the next season.
River flows in Indus at Tarbela stood at about 19,000 cusec on Wednesday, of which 15,000 cusec was being released to Sindh while another 15,000 cusec water was flowing the Kabul river at present.
