LAHORE: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) warned on Thursday the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) to start road repairing work around the Mangla Lake immediately because further delay could jeopardise the dam filling this year.

According to an Irsa letter to Wapda, it (Irsa) had depleted the dam by almost 60 feet during February so that Wapda could start the road repair – Mirpur-Kotli dual carriageway, which collapsed in 2014 near Khaliqabad. In 2015, the authority took short-term measures and promised to start permanent repair work once the lake level came down to 1,120 feet in 2016.

Wapda had asked Irsa to bring the dam level down to the required level by March 1 but then it delayed the work citing some contractual hiccups to March 21.

“Irsa is now concerned that any further delay in the start of work would eat into dam filling period,” says Rana Khalid, spokesman for Irsa. The authority has to fill the dam up to 80 per cent by June 30, otherwise filling becomes next to impossible.

Irsa had depleted the dam by 60 feet at the rate of two feet a day, only to enable Wapda to carry out repair work. This was despite the fact that there was no requirement of water in the Punjab and the province kept protesting as well. As the deadline for the start of repair work gets closer, Irsa is becoming edgy. The current level is 1,115.70 feet and the required level of 1,120 feet would be hit in next two days, given healthy hydrology of the Jhelum River. Irsa would then have to waste additional water to keep Wapda working. However, if there is any further delay on part of Wapda, the entire filling effort this year would be compromised, the spokesperson said and added: “That is why Irsa has issued warning to Wapda, explaining either it is on time road repair or dam filling.”

It is not only the Mangla Dam, which is a cause of concern for Irsa. Tarbella’s filling is causing its share of problems as well. Because of wet spell last week, the provinces brought their water indents down to almost nil. The current wet spell has completely diminished water requirements in the province. On Thursday, Sindh sent almost of 10,000 cusecs downstream Kotri barrage – explaining the kind of water needs provinces have right now. The current releases of 10,000 cusecs from Tarbella lake are, according to power planners, creating instability in the transmission system. The authority thus has to keep releasing water to keep the electricity transmission system stable, but “it has written to the ministry that releases from Tarbella must be restricted between 10,000 cusecs to 18,000 cusecs so that maximum water could be conserved there as well,” says Mr Khalid, adding: “This water being conserved at Tarbella lake would be used for early Kahrif in Sindh and cannot be risked. Irsa is thus constrained to keep releases to minimum possible limits.”

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2016