Power generation: Irsa continues to draw 50,000 cusecs of water from reservoirs

The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) continues to draw 50,000 cusecs extra water from Tarbela and Mangla, besides run-of-the-river water, for hydel power generation, despite strong protests by the farming community.
According to the data provided by Flood Warning Centre, Lahore, on Sunday, Irsa has been discharging 81,000 cusecs water downstream Tarbela dam, against the inflow of 55.000 cusecs run-of-the-river Indus water. It was releasing 32,000 cusecs water downstream Mangla dam, against the inflow of 13,800 cusecs water in river Jhelum.
The report said that Irsa has depleted Tarbela dam by 7 feet from its maximum water conservation level of 1550 ft to 1543 ft, and Mangla dam by 4 ft, from its stored level of 1210 ft to 1206 ft, in a week''s time.
A Pepco spokesman told Business Recorder that Pepco is getting 6400 MW electricity from its hydel power houses at Tarbela, Mangla, and Ghazi Barotha after these extra water releases from the dams, which has controlled the power load shedding in the country.
Punjab Irrigation Department sources told this scribe that the provinces do not need this extra water as the farmers are currently engaged in harvesting Kharif crops rice, cotton and sugarcane, and the sowing of Rabi crops has not yet started.
In fact, the Sindh Irrigation Department is throwing all the run of the river Indus water downstream Kotri Barrage into the sea as riparian province is badly hit by heavy monsoon rains and floodwater.
A Wapda report said that Guddu Barrage received 58,500 cusecs water, Sukkur 55,800 cusecs, and Kotri barrage received 57,000 cusecs water on Saturday. Irrigation engineers released 49,000 cusecs water into the Indus Delta as it was not needed for sowing or irrigation of crops in Sindh.
Farmers'' associations say that Irsa is releasing extra water from the reservoirs without demand of the provinces, "in blatant disregard of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty", with connivance of the Federal Government.
Punjab Water Council said that Tarbela and Mangla dams were constructed to store water for agriculture sector and cannot be compromised for electricity. Electricity is an additional benefit as a byproduct of the two dams which were only built to cater for the replacement component of the deprived agriculture areas of Punjab, when the waters of Ravi, Sutlej & Beas Rivers were gifted to India.