Sindh faces water crisis in early Kharif

Irsa points finger at Wapda that
says it will now follow regulator’s SoPs

Islamabad

Wapda is blamed for the mammoth water crisis that is going to hit lower riparian federating unit — Sindh during the early Kharif, reveals the in-depth study of official correspondence taken place between Ministry of Water and Power, Indus River System Authority (Irsa) and Wapda on the filling of Tarbela dam.

The report available with The News shows that the Wapda that controls the operational command of the both Tarbela and Mangla dams did not follow the SoPs (standard operating procedures) required for filling Tarbela dam. 

Wapda did not obey the Irsa directions and kept on filling the dam by 1 ft a day. Irsa wanted Wapda to fill the dam by 2-3 feet a day. As a result Tarbela dam could notbe  filled up to its capacity of 1550 feet.  

The documents show that dam remained short of 6 feet despite the better inflows. Had Wapda followed the SoPs set for Terbela dam, right now dam would have 0.339 MAF which would be enough for 20 to 25 days to cater to water needs of Sindh and to some extent for Punjab. Documents also show that Wapda kept the size of stored water in Tarbela at the level of 1492 feet from April 1 to June 22 despite the huge increase in inflows.

Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, Chairman Irsa, who is also Sindh member in water regulator, when approached confirmed that it was Wapda that did not follow the direction of the regulator with regard to filling of dam and kept on violating the IRSA orders.

Mr Shah said metrological officials also misguided saying heaving inflows were on the cards. Irsa, he said, did not believe these  predictions, but Wapda toeing the line of Met office that inflows will continue, kept filling the dam by one feet a day. 

He also said that current water crisis is the result of no increase in temperature at Sakrdu, rather the catchment area received today (Wednesday) the snowfall. When the temperature increases, the water inflows in the Indus river will increase. “We are expecting the improvement in water flows will be witnessed from April 15.

He said that keeping in view the current water availability, water deficit for Sindh will start from today and this may go up to 40 percent and on later stage may further surge over 50 percent.

To a question he said that demand of Sindh stands at 40,000 cusecs per day whereas 22000 cusecs per day is being supplied with over 40 percent shortage. He said that on account of climate change, weather patterns are changing and water inflows in Sindh have drastically gone down to 51000 cusecs per day as against 147,000 cusecs per day, in Kabul flows have tumbled to just 6200 cusecs as against 27000 cusecs last year, in Jhelum river to 17000 cusecs per day from 62000 cusecs per day and likewise in Chenab the water flows have come down to 11700 from 24000 cusecs per day showing that how water inflows have alarmingly reduced in all rivers of Pakistan.

Irsa chairman says that the nature can now bailout Pakistan by rising the temperature at the catchments areas of all rivers which will result in increase in flows. He said that after every three to four years such crisis appears because of climate change. Due to increasing silt piled in Tarbela dam, the storage capacity has decreased by 3.3 percent. Pakistan possesses the water storage capacity for 28 days which is lowest in the region. He also disclosed that 2.2 million acre of land has disappeared because of the sea erosion. 

Wapda responded at that time to Irsa’s letter asking for adhering to SoPs saying that during the said period, keeping safety of the dam in view, Wapda has developed certain Standing Operating Procedures (SoPs) on its own for filling of Tarbela reservoir. As per the SOPs, WAPDA has to achieve 1510 feet mark in Tarbela reservoir above sea level up to July 10 every year, but during the current year the said level was achieved ahead of target i.e. on July 3. It was being expected that the maximum level of 1550 feet will be attained six days earlier than the deadline i.e. August 20, 2016.  However the fact is that dam was not filled up to 1550 feet and it remained short of 6 feet.

However, with the change of guard, Wapda has now agreed with Irsa and will in future adhere to SoPs of the regulator for filling for dam. According to the letter of Wapda six experts meeting was held in Wapda house with regard to SoPs for filling of dams and agreed to the Irsa’s SoPs.