ISLAMABAD, Feb 18: Water flows in all the rivers and reservoirs of the country have increased dramatically, with the water level at Mangla dam rising to a record 35 feet in a day owing to heavy rains for the fourth day running.
Indus River System Authority was told on Tuesday that the water level at Mangla had increased to 1,075 feet by Tuesday evening from its dead level of 1,040 feet on Monday. The inflow from Jhelum river at Mangla was recorded at 242,612 cusecs on Tuesday as against 6,500 cusecs noted a day earlier.
The inflow in Indus river at Tarbela was also recorded at 56,000 cusecs on Tuesday, more than double the level recorded a day before.
The water level at Tarbela reservoir remained unchanged at 1,376 feet as against its dead level of 1,369 feet.
The flow of river Kabul, which falls into the Indus downstream Tarbela, also jumped four times to 19,100 cusecs on Tuesday when compared with Monday’s 4,000 cusecs. The discharge at head Mirala on the river Chenab also increased to 166,000 cusecs by Tuesday evening. The inflow at Chashma barrage was recorded at 64,000 cusecs.
Irsa, however, told irrigation authorities in Sindh and Punjab that they would face 45 per cent and 59 per cent shortage of water, respectively, during the remaining 45 days of the Rabi season ending March 31.
Irsa also decided to stop outflows from Mangla dam till further orders despite a massive 35-foot rise in the water level due to rains in the catchment areas, and reduced outflows from Tarbela to 20,000 cusecs.
The authority also turned down a Punjab government request to recommend construction of the controversial Kalabagh dam to the federal government to meet continued water shortages every year on the grounds that the issue did not fall in its purview.
Irsa chairman Nasar Ali Rajput, who presided over the meeting, told reporters that all the four provinces agreed to the allocations made by Irsa which entailed 45 per cent shortage in Sindh and 59 per cent in Punjab in the remaining Rabi season.
In the last four months since October 1, Punjab faced a shortage of 32 per cent while Sindh experienced a 37 per cent deficit. He said that while the meeting was in progress, the news came that the water level in Mangla was rising and inflows at Tarbela were also improving.
It was, thus, agreed on the request of Punjab to review these allocations after 5-10 days keeping in view the ground realities that might change due to the ongoing rains. Balochistan and the NWFP would be exempt from any cut in the water share as usual because they utilized very limited quantities.
The provinces concurred with the projection that the overall shortage by end of season would be around 39 per cent as against early-Rabi forecast of 34 per cent shortage, but hoped that the deficit would taper off, he said.
Mr Rajput explained that on the basis of 39 per cent shortage, Punjab’s share was calculated at 11.9 MAF (million acre feet) for the whole Rabi season of which it had already utilized 9.9 MAF. It would thus rely on its remaining share of 2.093 MAF till March 31 and face a 59 per cent shortage.
Similarly, the water share of Sindh was calculated at 9.041 MAF, of which 7.103 MAF had been utilized till Feb 10, 2003. The remaining 1.938 MAF of water would be made available to Sindh over the next 45 days.
Irsa had asked Wapda to end or minimize ups and downs in water releases from Chashma which it was making according to its load requirements because these fluctuations were causing loss of water but Wapda refused to oblige, saying low power production would also be a national loss.
Wapda was, however, asked to make an hourly data of water releases by the end of month so that a committee could be constituted to overcome the problems at Chashma, Taunsa and Guddu barrages.
