ISLAMABAD, June 13: The Indus River System Authority on Tuesday cut the water share of larger provinces — Punjab and Sindh — by 11 per cent each owing to a major decline in river flows, it is learnt.
As a result, Irsa has also done away with the existing water distribution procedure and decided to keep two separate water accounts for Indus and Mangla system for the remaining period of Kharif season, according to sources.
Irsa has also decided to take into account only 15 per cent system losses as approved by its technical committee and then adjust higher losses at the fag end of the ongoing season.
Smaller provinces — Balochistan and the NWFP — are traditionally exempt from reduction in the share owing to their capacity constraints to fully utilise their share in any case.
Irsa on Tuesday conveyed the decisions to Wapda for implementation.
The sources said that since the water flows had tremendously declined, the existing practice of releasing water purely on the basis of provincial indents would not be possible. Instead, the provinces would be provided water as per their shares defined under the 1991 water accord.
The sources said Irsa had so far been maintaining single water account on national level. For the remaining period of this season, two separate accounts would be maintained. The change in the water account system was attributed to recent higher water availability to Punjab from Chenab.
The water discharges to Punjab have been reduced from 135,000 cusec to 110,000 cusec per day, down by 25,000 cusec. The releases to Sindh have been reduced to 115,000 cusec from the existing 150,000 cusec, down by 35,000 cusec.
To meet this cut, the releases from Chashma-Jhelum Canal have been reduced by 4,000 cusec per day to 14,000 cusec. Discharges downstream Chashma Barrage have been reduced by 5,000 cusec to 25,000 cusec. Discharges from Thal Canal have been reduced to 7,000 cusec against 8,000 cusec, down by 1,000 cusec. Discharges to Chashma Right Bank Canal have been reduced by 800 cusec to 1000 cusec, against the existing 1,800 cusec.
According to latest water data, overall inflows at rim station stood at 206,294 cusec on Tuesday and total outflows at 243,290 cusec. The river flows have declined by more than 170,000 cusec since May 19.
