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Kharif
shortages to be shared on pro-rata basis
ISLAMABAD – The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on
Wednesday projected up to 54 per cent maximum water shortage
for early Kharif which the provinces would have to face on
pro-rata basis as the apex body on water distribution decided
the Mangla Dam conservation level at 1212 feet.
“Participants agreed on filling of Mangla Dam in early Kharif
period keeping in view the shortages in the system that is
proportionate filling basis,” says an official announcement of
the Authority.
Chief Engineer IRSA told The Nation that Punjab would be
opening its canals by April 1, 2002. Punjab had, reportedly,
closed its canals for some days to share water shortage with
Sindh by allowing additional water.
Meanwhile, sources said, that Sindh had requested to continue
closure of two major canals namely the Tounsa-Punjab and
Chashma-Jhelum by June 10, 2002 which was rejected. However,
the Sindh member was ensured that the province would get water
to meet its reasonable requirements keeping in view the
shortage.
According to Amanullah, Chief Engineer IRSA, the system would
have improved water flows this year as compared to the last
year owing to 20 to 30 per cent increased snowfall in the
catchment area. He confirmed that Sindh member had certain
reservations about bearing the brunt of the shortage but the
consensus emerged eventually, he added. The flows this year
would be better than that in the last year but they are still
below the normal level of flows.
He said the IRSA has decided that the distribution of water
among the provinces would be done on the basis of five years
average of water distribution under the historical usage of
canals formula namely Actual Average System Usage of
1977-1982. “And it would not be done on the basis of new IRSA
Accord, 1991,” he added.
To a question about the telemonitoring of water releases, he
said, it has been under implementation on a fast track as the
President General Pervez Musharraf had desired it to be. “We
have sent the final project to the Planning Commission for
their due consent after which it would be in place,” he added.
In maximum flows, he said, the country would be facing only 33
per cent shortage as against the actual shortage of early
kharif last year at 46 per cent. The late Kharif and total
Kharif shortage would also be less than the last year due to
the anticipated improvement in water-flows.
Following is the table of anticipated availability of water
flows in period of next crop and the projected water shortage
in the three stages of the Summer crop;
Kharif 2002
Early Kharif Late Kharif Total Kharif
Max Min Max Min Max Min
Indus 6.033 4.819 35.383 25.367 41.416 30.186
Kabul 3.817 2.893 8.564 5.284 12.381 8.177
Jhelum 5.735 3.651 8.125 5.746 13.859 9.397
Chenab 3.384 1.095 13.471 10.903 16.856 12.808
Following shortages have been projected:
-33% -54% -7% -21% -15% -31%
Courtesy Nation March
28, 2002
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Pakissan.com;
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