LAHORE, Dec 21: The volume of water stored in two major dams of the country on Saturday shrank with 1maf of water left in Tarbela and 0.66maf in Mangla.
The water shortage, which was calculated at 34 per cent in the beginning of the current rabi season, would go up to 44 per cent in the rest of the season because Sindh and the Punjab had made extra withdrawals in the first half of it. Both provinces also gave warnings to each other against the additional supplies. The Punjab told the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) that Sindh had used some half-a-million more water during the first four months and it must served an early warning. Sindh, on its part, pointed out extra use of 0.1maf by the Punjab and suggested proportionate withdrawals.
If allegations levelled by both provinces were true, it was feared that shortages might rise as both would now try to limit themselves within the overall share. The Punjab had used 8.196maf of water up to Dec 20 out of its share of 13.06maf, leaving it with 4.88maf more supplies. It took 25 per cent shortage during the first half of Rabi season against the overall shortage of 34 per cent. The water scarcity, if expected, to go up to 44 per cent during the next three months.
Both provinces might be able to put up with the situation as canal closure month of January arrives. The Punjab would be closing Mangla command canals from Dec 26 and Tarbela command from Jan 13. Sindh might also finalize its canal closure plan after Saturday’s Irsa meeting which finalized Chashma barrage closure plan.
Meanwhile, the combined rivers flow on Saturday reverted back to low supplies with total supplies hitting 34,800 cusecs — around 10 per cent of the total requirements of over 300,000 cusecs.
The releases went up to 61,900 cusecs with and extra 27,100 cusecs depleting the dams’ level further.
The Tarbela level went down to 1414.02 — 45.02 feet above the dead level of 1369 feet — as inflow was 16,200 cusecs and outflow 25,000 cusecs. The dam has only now 1maf water against the total live capacity of 7.2maf.
Similarly, the River Jehlum’s inflow at Mangla was 7,700 cusecs and outflow 26,000 cusecs. The dam level stood at 1106.10 — 66.1 feet above the dead level of 1040 feet — and the lake contains 0.66maf water against the total capacity of 4.464maf.
The River Chenab also improved slightly with 6,300 cusecs and the River Kabul hit 4,400 cusecs. According to a barrage report, Jinnah had an inflow of 35,900 and outflow of 31,600 cusecs, Chashma 34,900 and 25,000, Taunsa 29,500 and 24,400, Guddu 29,700 and 25,500, Sukkur 24,400 and 1,800 and Kotri 3,300 with no outflow.