Lower water releases from Tarbela endangering Kharif crops: IRSA

ISLAMABAD: Low water releases from Tarbela Dam it is causing water shortage of 10-15 percent to the provinces of Punjab and Sindh, endangering the Kharif crops by reducing water flows from the dam, Indus River System Authority (IRSA) spokesperson said on Monday.

The IRSA had asked for release of 155,000 cusecs of water, but 131,000 cusecs has been released since June 27, 2021. IRSA Spokesman Muhammad Khalid Idrees Rana said that because of the reduced water releases from Tarbela reservoir, water shortage of 10-15 percent from the said dam was being passed on to both the provinces of Punjab and Sindh at this crucial juncture of rice sowing. Keeping in view the given situation, IRSA has summoned an emergent meeting of its advisory committee on July 8, 2021 (Thursday) to discuss the prevailing water situation. The spokesman said that inflows in Tarbela have increased to 144,900 cusecs and outflows stood at 131,000 cusecs and IRSA is asking for indent of 155,000. Under the IRSA Act, water is released from dams under orders of the water regulator and Wapda is bound to obey the IRSA.

The overall flows in Jhelum, Chenab are still not up to the mark. The current stored water in Mangla reservoir stands at 1.9 MAF with inflows at 42,000 cusecs and outflows at 40,000 cusecs.