The country's biggest water reservoir on the river Jhelum, Mangla dam with capacity of 7.4MAF has reached its dead level of 1050ft above the sea level and consequently Punjab Irrigation department has closed almost all its perennial and non-perennial irrigation canals till water availability improves in the river Chenab and Jhelum. According to available data of running water in the rivers, the inflow in the rivers has dropped to the lowest in past 10 years. Only 7,373 cusecs water is flowing in the river Chenab at Marala and 6100 cusecs in the river Jhelum at Mangla dam.
The water regulatory body, Irsa is releasing only run of the river water in the Mangla zone that commands central and eastern Punjab. Water in the Tarbela dam is also nearing its dead level in about ten days reducing the dam's power generation to the minimum level.
It may be recalled that Irsa advisory committee had warned in November 2017 that the forecast of water availability based on the current flow trend in the rivers was found to be 36 per cent short of average system uses. The winter rains have also been below normal this season. Meanwhile, the Met Office has said that a shallow westerly wave is affecting upper parts of the country. A fresh westerly wave is likely to effect western parts of the country on Wednesday (evening/night).
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