ISLAMABAD, July 17: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) decided on Tuesday with a majority vote of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to divert Indus waters into the Chenab zone through Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal and cut Sindh’s indent by about 5,000 cusecs.

The government of Sindh has been opposing the use of CJ link canal in normal times for transfer of Indus waters into the Chenab zone except in case of floods.

Sources told Dawn that the decision to divert irrigation water from the Indus to Chenab zone was taken at the initiative of the Punjab government after recent rains resulted in flow of water downstream Kotri over the past few days. Punjab requested that its full share be given at the CJ link for diversion into the Chenab zone where it was facing a shortage of water, mostly in the south of Punjab.

According to sources, Irsa Chairman and Member Sindh Mazhar Ali Shah opposed the request and said that water going downstream Kotri was not coming through the Indus system and was flowing through Nai Gaj and Manchar Lake into the Indus because of recent rains in Balochistan. He strongly opposed the move to open the CJ canal for diversion of Indus waters into the Chenab zone.

As the difference of opinion persisted, Irsa members from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa decided with a majority vote to provide 21,700 cusecs of water to Punjab at the CJ link for diversion into the Chenab zone.

When contacted, an Irsa official said that the flow in Chenab River had dropped significantly and Punjab started facing an acute shortage of water for irrigation. Therefore, Punjab was given its share of water from Indus through the CJ link canal.

He said as river flows dropped in recent days due to fall in temperatures in Skardu causing slower snow melting, Sindh’s indent was also reduced by 5,000 cusecs. He said Sindh’s indent had already been cut by 10,000 cusecs from 210,000 cusecs a couple of days ago, before Tuesday’s cut of 5,000 cusecs.

An official said the drop in river flows upstream of Tarbela due to the drop in temperatures might lead to drawdown on storage at Tarbela reservoir.

The official said the water level at Tarbela dam on Tuesday stood at 1,456 feet against its dead level of 1,378 feet and water storage was still being built upon as it received about 197,000 cusecs and discharged 160,000 cusecs downstream.

Likewise, the storage at Mangla dam was recorded at 1,142 feet on Tuesday against its dead level of 1,040 feet. Mean inflow at Mangla stood at 36,303 cusecs on Tuesday against its outflows of about 15,000 cusecs.

Total river flows at rim stations were recorded at 355,000 cusecs against total outflows of about 295,000 cusecs on Tuesday.