Irsa plans to store 13MAF water at Tarbela, Mangla

ISLAMABAD: The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) plans to simultaneously fill the Tarbela and Mangla dams by Aug 20, enabling the country to have 13 million acres of water (MAF) due to increasing inflows in the Indus and Jhelum rivers due to ice melting in the catchment areas and monsoons.

“The stored water in both dams will be enough for the Rabi season that will start on October 1, 2024 and end on March 31, 2025,” a senior official of the Water Resources Ministry told The News.

“Tarbela will fill up to its maximum level of 1,550ft and Mangla up to 1,242ft by August 20. Right now, water level at Tarbela has reached 1,524ft with 4.343 MAF water stored. The live storage capacity of Tarbela reservoir stands at 5.8 MAF, which is to be attained when it fills up to 1,550ft by August 20,” said the official.

“Likewise, the water level in Mangla Dam currently stands at 1,194.60ft with stored water of 3.926 MAF. However, Mangla can store 7.2 MAF water, which will be harnessed when it fills up to 1,242ft by August 20. In addition, we will be having 0.3 MAF at the Chashma Barrage at the maximum. For Rabi season, which is to start from October 1, 2024, the system will have plenty of water for sowing the wheat crop and other seasonal vegetables.”

The IRSA spokesman confirmed that it’s going to fill both the dams by August 20.

To a question, the spokesman said by Sept 30, which was the end of the ongoing Kharif season, they will be able to release 10 MAF water downstream Kotri to stop the seawater from eroding Sindh’s fertile land. Irsa has released 1.267 MAF water downstream Kotri from April 1 to-date.

Currently, the country has total stored water of 8.387 MAF with inflows of 3,45.300 cusecs per day and outflows of 3,04,300 cusecs per day. At Tarbela, inflows stand at 186,200 cusecs per day and outflows at 163,400 cusecs per day.

In Kabul River, the water inflows stand at 68,700 cusecs per day. In Mangla Dam on the Jhelum River, water inflows stand at 34,500 cusecs and outflows at 16,400 cusecs.

At Head Marala on the Chenab River, the water inflows stand at 55,800 cusecs per day and outflows at 27,800 cusecs per day.