ISLAMABAD, March 20: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) said on Friday that the Tarbela reservoir had touched the dead level of nearly 1,369 feet. However, it said that inflows into Indus, Kabul and Jhelum rivers were at ‘comfortable levels’.

Irsa spokesman Khalid Idrees Rana told Dawn that irrigation requirements of the Rabi season had been adequately met and wheat crop had matured across the country.

Last year, the Tarbela reservoir had attained the dead level in the first week of March.

Mr Rana said that seasonal rains in arid regions had helped to produce good wheat crop.

He said that Irsa had called a meeting of its technical committee comprising experts from the four provinces on March 25 to asses availability of water and work out a formula for distribution for the coming Kharif season. A report of the technical committee would be presented to a meeting of Irsa’s advisory committee to be held on March 31, he added.

The spokesman said that from March 21 to 31, Irsa would release the entire quantity of inflows to meet provinces’ irrigation needs.

At present Sindh requires about 40,000 cusecs of water in downstream Kotri for cotton sowing and vegetables. Punjab has closed all its canals up to March 31 because its wheat crop is in the final stage of maturing.

As on March 20, water inflows were at 24,800 cusecs at Tarbela and 31,435 cusecs at Mangla and 19,200 cusecs in the Kabul river and 10,436 cusecs in Chenab.

Mr Rana said the maximum temperature of 13 degree had been recorded in Skardu, the main catchment area of the Indus, which was a positive sign. He said that water would be stored at Tarbela and Mangla from April.

The Kharif season starts in April and lasts till Sept 30. Major crops of the season are rice, cotton, sugarcane and vegetables.
Tags: