ISLAMABAD, Oct 22: Mangla Dam would remain closed for all irrigation and power generation purposes for 62 days during the current season in view of an unprecedented 51 per cent overall water shortage, Dawn learnt from official sources on Monday.

The closure dates include Oct 21 to 31, 2001; Jan 1 to 31, 2002; and March 20 to 31, 2002.

“ Closure has already been put in place since Oct 21 and we got 5,000 cusecs today ( Monday) only for one unit”, said a Wapda expert dealing with power generation. Authentic sources in Wapda said that the utility had been asked by relevant authorities to make alternate arrangements to meet its power generation shortfall.

“ This means Wapda would not be able to utilize 1,000 MW of cheap hydel capacity for more than two months and, instead, rely on additional high-cost thermal power”, a Lahore-based senior Wapda official said.

Power generation cost at Mangla is around 20 paisa per unit against Wapda’s average sale price,Rs3.57 per unit. Wapda and KESC were allowed 3 per cent increase in tariff last weekend.

The decision has been taken on the tentative requirement of Punjab due to acute water shortage, particularly low water storage in Mangla reservoir, the Chief Engineer, Indus River System Authority (IRSA). Amanullah Khan, confirmed.

The power utility’s monthly furnace oil bill had already gone up by 100 per cent during the current month following federal government’s decision to increase strategic fuel stocks for thermal power in view of US attacks on Afghanistan, a senior Wapda official said.

Normally, Wapda’s monthly furnace oil bill remains at around Rs1.2 billion against a fuel requirement of 110,000 tons. During the current month, the furnace oil bill has already touched Rs2.6 billion due to purchase of over 200,000 tons of fuel to maintain stocks at Muzaffargarh for nine days and up to 15 days at other smaller stations. Mangla Dam, like Tarbela Dam, is not only losing its generation capacity due to increased silt, but it could not be filled to its full capacity this year due to low water availability.

Mr Khan said there would be zero releases from Mangla Dm for 62 days,according to current estimates,but insisted that it was a tentative plan which could be changed if situation improved.

He said IRSA had confirmed Punjab’s indents to Wapda as well for these shortages. According to the plan, zero releases were required for Oct 21 to 30, followed by Jan 1, to Jan 31 and then last ten days of March.

However, at present 5,000 cusec was being released from Mangla. Ten power generation units of Wapda required at least 45,000 cusecs but the releases were made only on the basis of irrigation requirements. Maximum release from Mangla could be around 50,000 cusecs, he added.