Islamabad: Below normal rainfall during the current Monsoon season is likely to create water shortage for crop sowing during coming Rabi season, besides creating other environmental hazards affecting the general health.
The depressed Monsoon season has resulted into poor accumulation of water in the mega water reservoirs of the country, which is posing serious threats for the cultivation of major and minor crops to fulfil the domestic requirements as well as exports.
Commenting on the situation that has emerged due to low intensity of Monsoon rains, Chairman Federal Flood Commission (FFC) Ahmad Kamal said less rainfall as compared to the last seasons was received during the outgoing rainy season.
“If the situation persists during the days to come, the pressure on the existing water reservoirs would increase and shortage of the water for irrigation may occur and put negative impact on the major seasonal crops,” he observed.
Not only, he said that the intensity of the monsoon rainfall was down, no rapid showers took place at the upper catchments of the major rivers in the country, which were the main source of water level increase in mega storage.
However, he said that Punjab was the main food producing province of the country and produced all major crops including cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane and maize. It also produces other minor crops including oil seeds and pulses.
Fortunately, he said that the Tarbela Dam has attained water level up to its maximum capacity of 1,550 feet while the condition at Mangla reservoir was pathetic which is presently 66.70 feet below its Maximum Conservation Level (MCL) of 1242 feet.
He said currently the inflow of water at Mangla dam is 21,000 cusecs and outflow 10,000 cusecs which leaves only 11,000 cusecs of water remaining in the reservoir. To a question, he said if supposedly 300,000 cusecs of water flows into the reservoir of Mangla then a reasonable amount of water securing Rabi crops can be stored, hence the lurking water shortage in the coming crop season could be avoided.
Commenting on the massive water accumulation in Tarbela Dam, he informed that 80 per cent water comes from the snow melting in the glaciers and catchments areas. Tarbela has tumultuous temperature in the region as temperature rise resulted into the significant water increase in the reservoir, he added.
The snowfall has decreased by 35 per cent whereas it has also affected the snow melting process and it would show its implications with the passage of time. Answering another question, he said River Jhelum and Mangla has very less likelihood to mitigate the risk, adding River Chenab is also facing crisis due to reduced inflow of water from across the border.
River Chenab’s basic requirement is 50,000 cusecs water while India has released only 8,000 cusecs water which would definitely impact the agriculture sector, he maintained. He underscored that all provinces would have to be taken on board by the government to make national consensus for a fruitful dialogue with India for our due right and share of water under Indus Water Treaty.
The FFC Chairman stressed the need for taking immediate measures to enhance the water storage capacity of the country to avoid water shortages and urged the need for taking on board the FFC as a major stakeholder in the matter related to water. He also urged the need for involving the expert opinion during the dialogue process held under Indus Water Commission with India.