ISLAMABAD: The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Advisory Committee (IAC) has approved water availability for only the month of April 2025, with a projected system shortfall of 43 percent.
The decision was made during a crucial IAC meeting held on March 26, 2025, under the chairmanship of Sahibzada Muhammad Shabir, Chairman IRSA and Member IRSA from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The committee, which met to finalize the anticipated water availability criteria for the Kharif 2025 season (April 1 to September 30), opted to defer a full-season allocation due to uncertain climate projections. The water situation will be reassessed in the first week of
May 2025.
The meeting was attended by all IRSA members, representatives of the Chief Engineering Advisor (Ministry of Water Resources), secretaries of Punjab and Sindh’s Irrigation Departments, senior officials from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, technical
experts from WAPDA, Tarbela and Mangla Dams, and senior representatives of provincial agriculture departments.
During the session, the IAC reviewed the system operation for the Rabi 2024-25 season (October–March), which closed with an 18% shortage—slightly higher than the anticipated 16%.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned of below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures for April to June 2025, particularly across the northern and southern regions.
Additionally, winter snowfall in the Indus and Jhelum catchments was 31% below normal—measuring only 26.8 inches compared to the usual 49.7 inches—suggesting weaker river inflows in the coming months.
Taking into account these concerning hydrological and climatic indicators, the committee decided to approve allocations only for April, pending further data in May 2025.
