ISLAMABAD: The water woes continue, as Tarbela Dam is set to reach the dead level the second time within a span of one month and would create major problems for Kharif crops in Balochistan and Sindh.
The water levels at Tarbela Dam according to officials was approaching the dead level in two days’ time and no prospects of instant improvement in river flow reported Dawn.
In April, both Tarbela and Mangla had touched dead levels and the situation remained like that until mid of the month.
Officials disclosed existing storage at Tarbela stood at 4-feet which would deplete in two days at the present outflow of 40,000 cusecs against 35,000 cusecs of inflows.
Due to hazardous reasons, discharges on Monday were decreased to 40,000 cusecs from 45,000 cusecs.
According to officials, Indus River System Authority (IRSA) projected water shortage at 40 percent for the early-Kharif period which was now estimated to cross 44 percent in case river flows don’t improve.
The looming water crisis has raised tensions between the provinces over discharges as provincial irrigation authorities want more sway over limited resources.
Punjab on Monday requested Irsa to decrease indents from Mangla Dam to 25,000 cusecs from 28,000 cusecs due to improvement in flows at river Chenab and was sufficient to meet its needs.
But the water regulator refused to cede to the request due to the prospect of creating major problems at Chashma barrage and could require closure Taunsa-Panjnad (TP) link canal.
Hence, the indents from Mangla couldn’t decrease at this juncture and rather Irsa stated it was diverting 4,200 cusecs from Taunsa-Panjnad to Jhelum-Chenab zone.
Separately, Sindh irrigation department stated storage at Tarbela was 4-feet above 1,386-feet operating level whilst Manga storage was 53-feet higher than its operating level of 1,103-feet.
It decried discharges were ongoing from Tarbela compared to preservation at Mangla.
Sindh government stated diversion of water from Indus to Jhelum-Chenab zone via CJ canal and TP-Link Canal was ongoing notwithstanding water availability on Indus was lesser than that on the Jhelum-Chenab zone.
It reminded water scarcity in the province would worsen further in one to two days’ time if this practice continued.
It directed for an instant end to the diversion of water from Indus to Jhelum-Chenab system and needs of Sindh, Trimmu and Panjnad canals be met by the release of more water from Mangla.
