LAHORE: Better water flows in the rivers have not only wiped out earlier calculated four per cent water shortage during early Rabi but may also help improve power generation as the provinces increase their water indents in the first week of November.

According to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) data, on Tuesday, the country had 11.7 million acre-feet of water in its stocks against 11.4maf on the corresponding day last year and last 10 years’ average of 8.4maf.

The better health of reservoirs is because of improved supplies during October. In the past four weeks, the rivers have yielded 4.3maf of water against 3.7maf during the corresponding month last year.

Punjab is getting its full demanded share of 49,000 cusecs from both dams, Sindh 50,000 cusecs, Balochistan 4,400 cusecs and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 3,000 cusecs.

Also read: Sharp drop in river water flows

Total inflow of rivers on Tuesday was 72,000 cusecs against 62,000 cusecs on the same day last year. Out of it, Indus supplied 30,900 cusecs, Kabul 14,000 cusecs, Jhelum 14,000 cusecs and Chenab 26,000 cusecs. As far as the dam position was concerned, the water level at Tarbela stood at 1,524.22 feet, with a live storage of 5.024maf; Mangla at 1,231.50 feet with a live storage of 6.569maf and Chashma at 637 feet, with 0.075maf.

“Because of these additional supplies the authority is conveying to the provinces to recalculate and place their water demands with no shortages in mind,” Irsa official Rana Khalid said.

Hopefully the next 10 days demand from the provinces will increase from the start of November when wheat sowing activity begins in Punjab. This would naturally also bring some relief on the power front, he added.

On the other hand, an official of the Punjab irrigation department, claimed that Irsa had not yet officially conveyed the water situation improvement to them. “Punjab is still making its water planning on the basis of 4pc shortage and running canals accordingly. It is only running its perennial canals. Once the authority officially conveys removal of shortage, the province may also give one watering to the non-perennial canals between Nov 10 and 20. But it all depends on when Irsa conveys new improvement in river inflows and its stocks,” he said.

Meanwhile, as the wheat sowing process picks up in the Punjab, the province may further benefit from the current light rain spell, especially its rain-fed (barani) areas.

The upper parts of Punjab, which include rain-fed areas, received some light showers and the spell may last for two days. To ease the province further, its southern parts may also receive some rains due to a cyclone expected to hit the coastal areas of Sindh. It may generate some effects right down to the southern belt of Punjab.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2014