The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has started refilling the upgraded Mangla dam on river Jhelum after increase in the river flow and the water level in the dam has risen by 10 ft from its dead level during past two days.
According to 5th April rivers flows and reservoirs level report of Water and Power Development Authority, out of 41,000 cusecs inflow in river Jhelum, Irsa is retaining 6,000 cusecs water in the dam and releasing 35,000 cusecs water downstream the Mangla dam for irrigation and hydel power generation.
The water level in the dam had risen from its dead level of 1040 ft to 1050 ft, storing 0.078 MAF water till Thursday evening. It may be added that Wapda has permitted Irsa to fill the dam up to its highest level of 1242 ft this year as all constraints relating to the filling of the dam have been removed after resolution of settlement issues with the local population uprooted by the dam''s additional height of 40 ft.
Punjab irrigation engineers told Business Recorder that after completion of the Mangla Dam raising project at a cost of Rs 120 billion, the dam will store 2.88 million acres feet (MAF) additional water and generate 644MW more hydel power, with an estimated annual benefit of Rs 18 billion.
Experts said that the additional quantity of water in the Mangla dam will enhance the agriculture productions in Punjab and Sindh Resultantly, more large-scale area will come under irrigation opening new avenues of employment to the rural population of both the provinces. According to the water report, 33,400 cusecs water is flowing in river Indus at Tarbela, 34,000 cusecs in river Kabul at Nowshera, and 18,600 cusecs in river Chenab.
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