ISLAMABAD, Feb 1: Water situation owing to the lingering drought has taken a turn for the worst and the experts fear that the provinces during the wheat maturity period of February and March will face 60 per cent to 80 per cent shortage, an official told Dawn.

The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has convened a meeting on Feb 6 to discuss the matter.

The overall shortage, which had earlier been projected at 51 per cent, was expected to further increase to 54 per cent as the country received very little rains in the current winter season, a source said.

Irsa, over the last four months of rabi season, had been distributing water among the provinces on the projected shortage of 51 per cent which was likely to increase to 54 per cent.

The provinces had already drawn more water in the past four months, even higher than their share worked out on the basis of expected shortage of 51 per cent, but now that the shortage has further increased their share in wheat maturity period would be curtailed drastically, an official said.

Water level at both the country’s major reservoirs was also decreasing. The level at Tarbela till Thursday was around 1,410 feet, whereas the dead level of the reservoirs is 1,369 feet. The level was dropping sharply and would not last till the end of February, a source said.

In Mangla till Thursday, the water level was rising as the inflow was 7,000 cusecs and only 5,000 was being drawn because of the closure of the canals in Punjab, he said.

Now that the withdrawal has been doubled from 5,000 cusecs to 10,000 cusecs the water level has also started decreasing. The level was higher by about 400 feet from the dead level but the quantum of water available at the lake was much less because of the size of the lake, he said.

The meeting has been convened for Feb 6 to review the current situation and determine provincial shares accordingly, he added. Another meeting on Feb 9 will discuss the water distribution formula of Punjab.