LAHORE, May 7: Early setting in of summer has substantially increased water supplies to the rivers, and the country, for the first time since 1996, has ample water for cotton and rice sowing purposes.

According to data collected by the Punjab Irrigation Department, river Indus on Monday was flowing at 103,100 cusecs against 70,900 cusecs on the corresponding day last year. River Kabul has also seen its flows going up from 43,100 cusecs last year to 75,600 cusecs.

Similarly, River Jehlum, which was flowing 46,000 cusecs last year on May 7, has swelled to 53,000 cusecs, while Chanab has 39,000 cusecs against 38,000 cusecs last year.

Supported by better river flow, Tarbela Dam’s level has increased to 1,444 feet, which was only 1,387 feet last year. Similarly, Mangla Dam, which was at a level of 1,112 feet last year, stood at 1,178 feet.

According to Mahmoodul Hasan Siddiqui of the Punjab Irrigation Department, all canals in the province are running at their full capacity, and cotton sowing in Sindh was in full swing, while rice belt in the central Punjab will soon be following the suite.

Farmers from Punjab expressed their satisfaction over the water situation, saying they had witnessed such high flows for the first time during the last ten years.

Hamid Malhi, member the Punjab Water Council and a rice grower, says it will be too early to calculate any kind of impact of the increased water flow in the rivers, but it should certainly have salutary effect.

Of southern Punjab canals, he says they are still being operated on rotation, demanding that the department should run these channels regularly now as there is ample water.