Early Kharifseason to face 40pc water shortage: Irsa

ISLAMABAD: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has anticipated that owing to reduced water inflow in the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS), early Kharif season 2018, starting from April, would face around 40 percent irrigation water shortage that could delay crop sowing.

There would be around 11.2 percent decline in the water flow in the IBIS as in the coming Kharif season, water flow in the system would be 95 million acres feet (MAF) against 107MAF last year.

A technical committee of the authority met here with the Irsas’ Director Operations Khalid Rana in the chair and was attended by the irrigation departments’ officials of the all federating units and Wapda made these observations.

The Water Accord 1991 empowered Irsa to determine water availability in the country and provincial share twice a year, once for Kharif season and the other for Rabi season. Rabi season starts from October 1while Kharif starts from April 1. In Pakistan, Kharif crops, includes sugarcane, cotton, maize and rice.

Rana said that initial analysis shows that early Kharif would face 30 to 40pc shortage of water, while in late season, it will reduce to five to ten pc. He further said that the met department has predicted less rains in early season but normal in monsoon.

The advisory committee of the authority will meet on 29th March to approve water share plan of the four provinces on the basis of their requirements. It is worth mentioning that Pakistan’s two major water reservoirs, including Tarbela and Mangla, are currently at dead level. Independent experts are also anticipating grave water shortage in the months to come.

Irsa’s data says on Thursday that the Tarbela Dam was at its dead level of 1,386 feet of water, with inflow of 1,700 cusecs and outflow of 17,000 cusecs, having zero water storage. Water level at the Mangla Dam stood at 1,050 feet on Wednesday morning against its dead level of 1,040 feet, having storage of 0.033MAF. Inflow at Mangla was recorded at 12,500 cusecs against outflow of 13,700 cusecs.

As a result, total inflow at rim stations were recorded at 44,300 cusecs against total outflow below rim stations at about 45,500 cusecs. The source said that the technical committee forecast of 40 percent shortage in the River Indus was supported by Irsa, Wapda and Sindh, but Punjab opposed such high losses. Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also showed concern about the high losses predicted for the River Indus and asked Irsa to take steps for rationalising the losses. Official of the Metrological Department informed the meeting that the month of April will be comparatively warmer and dryer.