Worrying water situation: Tarbela Dam and Chashma Barrage reach dead level

ISLAMABAD: In a worrying development, Tarbela Dam and Chashma Barrage have reached dead level, while Mangla Dam has maximum water of 0.865 million acre feet (MAF), which is equal to just 400,000 cusecs.

This means the country is currently having total water of 0.865 MAF stored in its systems, putting the last watering to the wheat crop in Punjab at maturity stage in danger. The water level in both Tarbela Dam and Chashma Barrage reached dead level on February 22, revealed water inflows and outflows data of the IRSA. The water in the Indus River at Tarbela Dam still continues to flow at dead level as per the February 24 water inflows and outflows data.

Top sources in the Ministry of Water Resources said that Tarbela Dam has got empty and has virtually come on run-of-the-river and same is the case with Chashma Barrage. The water level in Tarbela reservoir reached dead level 10 days prior against the water withdrawal plan carved out by the IRSA because of the mismanagement of Wapda. “And this has resulted in an immediate 20-25 percent water shortfall in the system,” the sources said. Since wheat harvesting has been completed in lower Sindh, non-availability of stored water may injure the output of sugarcane crop and orchards. However, the new shortfall of 20-25 percent may reasonably affect the wheat production in Punjab, which is the food basket of the whole country, the sources said.

The sources said that this alarming situation forced the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to summon general manager Tarbela Dam and it also sought an explanation from the Wapda management at the Tarbela Dam.

The Wapda continued to release water while hoping that there is substantial water below the dead level as per the existing rating table. However, when the water level reached the dead level, there was no water below the dead level of 1,392 feet but sedimentation proved that the rating table of Wapda is not correct. So, now the Wapda would initiate a new survey and correct its rating table accordingly to avoid such a situation in the future.

When contacted, Khalid Idrees Rana, spokesman of IRSA, confirmed the development, saying the water regulator is facing a difficult situation and is struggling hard to handle it. He said that the IRSA increased the outflows from Mangla Dam but water left in the dam is just at 0.865 MAF.

He further said the good news is that in the Chenab River, the water flows have massively increased from 19,500 cusecs per day to 56,000 cusecs per day because of the rain two days ago in the catchment area and the water flows are maintained at 31,000 cusecs. “The surge in water inflows in the Chenab River will help reduce the expected loss to wheat crop in Punjab due to Indus River flows reaching dead level at the Tarbela Dam. And in the first or second week of March, the water flows in the Jhelum and Kabul rivers are expected to escalate,” he said.