Rainfalls rescue drought-hit wheat crop

LAHORE: Much-awaited rainfalls have rescued the drought-hit cash wheat crop, which has adversely been affected due to lack of rains since the start of its sowing, officials said on Monday. 

Another spell of rains is expected within the next three to four days in almost entire plains of the country, an official said. “It will hopefully fulfill irrigation requirements of crops in the Punjab and Sindh and other provinces.”

Keeping in view the positive impact of first rain of winter on the standing crops, water regulation authorities in the Punjab postponed the reopening of canals from mid-January to 25 January. 

The light to moderate rain was recorded in almost two-third of the province and sufficient in meeting watering requirements of the plants.  “The rains enabled us to continue conserving water in dams,” an official said. “We did not open most of the Mangla Command canals by the mid of current month and outflow of water from the dam has not been increased from 5,000 to 10,000 cusecs.”

The officials said rains in most parts of the country, during this week, will greatly help in meeting water needs of the crops and orchards.  “Water storage volume in dams is expected to cross two million acres of feet from a meagre storage volume of a little over one million acre feet, which was recorded about a month back,” a senior official said. “We are now very much upbeat about meeting the remaining water requirements of wheat and other crops of the ongoing Rabi season.”

The official said lower and upper areas also registered two to three spells of snowfalls during this month, “which would increase river flows for the upcoming Kharif (summer) crops.”  “This snow cover will only start melting from mid to late March and thus will only contribute in the plantation of upcoming rice and cotton crops,” said another official.

Agriculture experts said cold and cloudy weather, during the growth stage of wheat crops, is very beneficial for the proper development of plant. “However, relatively high night temperatures in agricultural plains increased the risk of frost,” the expert said. 

The government advised the farmers to obtain crop water through tube wells and schedule irrigation according to the expected weather in their respective areas. Removing weeds from the standing crops is very important as weeds utilise moisture and food which are to be utilised by the crop. As a result considerable loss in yield occurs every year.

On January 22, water inflows 15,900 cusecs and outflows 15,000 cusecs were recorded at Tarbela dam while inflow of Kabul River at Nowshera was 11,100 cusecs. Jhelum River inflow at Mangla dam was 5,700 cusecs and outflows 5,000 cusecs. Inflow of Chenab River at Marala barrage was 5,700 cusecs and outflows were 5,700 cusecs.

Present water level at Tarbela dam was 1,432.52 feet, while live storage was registered at 1.023 million acre feet. Mangla dam’s present level was 1,103.60 feet, while live storage was 0.682 million acre feet.