ISLAMABAD – The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has increased water shares of Punjab and Sindh by 13,000 cusecs and 7,000 cusecs, respectively, in the wake of increased river inflows following recent rain spell in different parts of the country.
Irsa has improved the water inflows to the rivers and reviewed the water situation in the wake of recent rains. The rain spell has increased river inflows from 90,000 cusecs to 141,000 cusecs (increase of 51,000 cusecs). Storage increased from 0.2 million acre feet (MAF) to 0.426 MAF. Therefore, keeping in view increased water situation, provincial shares have been revised (increased) to 61000 cusecs from 48000 cusecs for Punjab and to 40000 cusecs from 33000 cusecs for Sindh. CJ Link canal has been opened with discharge of 2000 cusecs and for Greater Thal Canal (GTC) KP 3100 cusecs.
Irsa has started release of water for Balochistan canals as there canals will open from May 01, 2018. Irsa has also increased outflows from Mangla from 25000 cusecs to 28000 cusecs. Meanwhile, it reduced outflows from Tarbela from 30000 cusecs to 22000 cusecs.
Yesterday, the position of the river inflows and outflows at Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma along with the reservoirs levels and the barrages was as under:
Rivers: Indus at Tarbela: Inflows 35000 cusecs and outflows 22000 cusecs, Kabul at Nowshera: Inflows 43200 cusecs and outflows 43200 cusecs, Jhelum at Mangla: Inflows 42400 cusecs and outflows 28000 cusecs, Chenab at Marala: Inflows 20800 cusecs and outflows 12800 cusecs.
Barrages: Jinnah: Inflows 59900 cusecs and outflows 56900 cusecs, Chashma: Inflows 61300 cusecs and outflows 50000 cusecs, Taunsa: Inflows 33700 cusecs and outflows 29500 cusecs, Panjnad: Inflows 3300 cusecs and outflows nil cusecs, Guddu: Inflows 28100 cusecs and outflows 28100 cusecs, Sukkur: Inflows 21200 cusecs and outflows 5900, Kotri: Inflows 3400 cusecs and outflows remained nil.
Reservoirs (Level and Storage): Tarbela: Minimum operating level 1386 feet, present level 1398.62 feet, maximum conservation level 1550 feet, live storage 0.132 million acre feet (MAF). Mangla: Minimum operating level 1050 feet, present level 1092.70 feet, maximum conservation level 1242 feet, live storage 0.249 MAF.
Chashma: Minimum operating level 638.15 feet, present level 641.30 feet, maximum conservation level 649 feet, live storage 0.045 MAF. The inflows and outflows of River Indus at Tarbela and Chashma, River Kabul at Nowshera and River Jhelum at Mangla have been reflected as mean flows of 24 hours, whereas the other flows were gauged at 6.00 am.