ISLAMABAD, June 12: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Monday reduced the overall water discharges by about 5,000 cusecs but postponed the cut in provincial shares because of their dire needs.

Sources said that the outflow from Tarbela Dam was reduced by 10,000 cusec per day to 150,000 from 160,000 cusec on Sunday to slow down depletion of stored water.

The releases from the Mangla Dam were, however, enhanced by 5,000 cusec to 35,000 cusec compared with 30,000 cusec a day ago. As such, net reduction in discharges stood at 5,000 cusec.

The sources said that the provinces have so far consumed about 17.109 MAF of water during the current Kharif season — April to June 10. Of this, Punjab utilised about 10.525 MAF; Sindh 5.924 MAF; the NWFP 0.423 MAF; and Balochistan 0.238 MAF.

The sources said that a cut in provincial share was expected in the next couple of days after taking all the federating units into confidence so as to save reasonable water for the dry days.

The sources said the Sindh government had opposed the cut at the moment on the ground that storage level in reservoirs was in a comfortable zone. As a precaution, releases from Tarbela should be gradually reduced instead, it proposed.

The water level at Tarbela was recorded at 1419.66 feet on Monday against its dead level of 1369-feet, showing a storage of about 50-feet. Inflows at Tarbela stood at 100,200 cusec against outflows of about 150,000 cusec.

Likewise, the water level at Mangla was recorded at 1156.25 feet against its dead level of 1040-feet, showing a storage of about 116-feet.

Total water inflows at rim station were recorded at 205,981 cusec on Monday against total outflows of 260,577 cusec.