ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The water shortage for Rabi crops has surged to 28 per cent — from the original 22 per cent — owing to continuous releases for power generation on the government’s directive despite provincial protests that their crop output may be negatively affected.

Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Chairman Bashir Ahmed Dahar told reporters after a meeting of the advisory committee on Monday that overall shortage for the current Rabi season had increased to 28 per cent and Irsa would continue to release 18,000 cusecs of water to overcome the current “national energy crisis” probably until January 26.

He confirmed that provincial water requirements for irrigation and drinking stood at 10,000 cusec and an additional 8,000 cusec per day was being released for power generation. He also conceded that provincial objections to the releases were there but “we received directives to cooperate and give additional water quantities for power generation”.

As a result of these additional releases, the power companies were able to produce about 1200MW of electricity every day, reducing the electricity shortage by similar quantity. He said the provinces had demanded to discontinue additional water releases.

He said these measures were earlier worked out first at the ministry of water and power and then were approved at a meeting presided over by the caretaker prime minister. He said that Irsa had been assured that water releases would be reduced whenever the Wapda-Pepco authorities succeed in improving oil and gas shortage.

He agreed that enhanced water releases for power generation had been going on since December 25 – much before the issue was brought before the advisory committee for approval. He said the wheat crop normally required watering for four times and this year this may be reduced to three times. The requirement of fourth watering would be overcome through rationing and better management.

He said storage in Tarbela dam currently stood at 0.88 MAF compared with 2.45 MAF at the same time last year but hoped the situation will improve by current rain pattern that was much delayed than usual circumstances. He said total inflows in Tarbela dam currently stood at 17,000 cusec and 10,000 cusec was being released against a downstream provincial requirement of 3,000 cusec. In contrast, inflows in Mangla were 5500 cusec but about 8000 cusec was being released, which was depleting the storage level.