ISLAMABAD: Notwithstanding its devastations, the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) found recent floods as a blessing in disguise with additional water availability, yet it forecast up to four per cent water shortage if provinces fail to mature in water consumption.

A meeting of the Irsa’s advisory committee was presided over by its chairman Nasim Bazai. Provincial members and representative of Wapda and Meteorological Office attended.

Officials said the meeting noted that although floods caused huge damages to the people yet the floods brought with them two million acre feet (MAF) of additional water quantities. At this moment last year, the provinces had drawn down about 1.5 MAF to meet irrigation requirements. This meant floods contributed total additional water availability of about 3.4 MAF.

On Tuesday, total storage in reservoirs was recorded at 13.825 MAF against last year’s storage of 12.022 MAF on the same day last year.

At the outset of the meeting, Sindh province proposed that since water resources would be 1.8 MAF higher than last year and Mangla dam was also full to capacity, the provinces should be given maximum water during Rabi season for irrigation.

Irsa on the other hand proposed that the 4 per cent shortage at maximum discharges could be brought down to zero if provinces managed available resources with maturity and responsibility.

It was, therefore, decided by the water regulator that water shortage would work out at four per cent on the basis of maximum supplies. Average shortages were, however, estimated at nine per cent during the entire season.

Total water availability during the Rabi season was estimated at 34.54 MAF through canal withdrawals as storage in dams was estimated at 13.30 MAF. Total losses were estimated at 2.65 MAF while 0.2 MAF would go downstream Kotri barrage.

The share of Balochistan and KPK was worked out at 1.732 million acre feet while that of Sindh and Punjab was earmarked at 33.3 MAF. Of this, Punjab would get 19 MAF and Sindh would be given 14.3 MAF.

The meeting also reviewed water situation during outgoing Kharif season which was marked by protest by Balochistan, expressing concern that while it was deprived of 18 per cent of its water share, all other provinces got more water than their anticipated shares.

Rabi season begins in October-December and harvested in April to May. Major crops of the season include wheat, gram, lentil, tobacco, rapeseed , barley and mustard.

Published in Dawn, October 1st , 2014