Mangla, Tarbela dams filled to maximum capacity

LAHORE: The Mangla and Tarbela Dams were filled to their maximum capacity on Thursday night, resulting in record availability of water from the two dams.

A spokesman of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) said on Friday that filling of dams is being considered a good omen for agriculture and hydel power generation in Pakistan in the days to come. The cumulative quantum of water available at present in Mangla and Tarbela reservoirs stands at 13.336 million acre feet (MAF) which is a record of water availability during the last 10 years. According to the statistics, the water level in Mangla and Tarbela is 1,242 feet and 1,550 feet above the sea level. Water available in the two dams is 2.173 MAF more if compared with the average of last 10 years.

It is worth-mentioning here that the average water availability in the two dams during the last 10 years was recorded as 11.163 MAF. This better hydrological situation will aptly fulfil the requirement of water for agriculture in the country for the days to come. The more water in the reservoirs will also result in more hydel generation in the coming days. It is pertinent to mention here that WAPDA hydel power stations have been providing more than 8500 MW for the last two consecutive days and hydel generation may touch 9,000 MW mark.