As the farmers have geared up sowing of strategic Kharif crops, cotton, rice and sugarcane, and there is an acute shortage of electricity in the country the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) discharged 10,000 cusecs more water downstream the Tarbela dam on Wednesday taking the daily water releases to 1,00,000 cusecs for power generation and irrigation purposes.
According to Pakistan Electric Power Co (Pepco) spokesman after these additional water releases, the hydel power units at Tarbela produced more electricity enhancing the hydel power mix to 5419MW against the total power generation of 13,589MW on Wednesday.
IRSA is releasing 50,000 cusecs water downstream the Mangla dam with the result that Mangla hydel power units are contributing more than 1,000MW electricity to the national grid system. The May 25 rivers flows and reservoirs level report of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) said that 1,12,300 cusecs water is gushing in the Tarbela dam on river Indus of which Irsa is discharging 1,00,000 cusecs water into the irrigation system of the Indus Zone.
River Kabul is contributing 55,100 cusecs water to the Indus River downstream the Attock bridge. They reported that 66,100 cusecs water is flowing in the river Jhelum and 49,800 cusecs water is running in river Chenab, in all 2,90,000 cusecs water is inflowing at rim stations of the four live rivers. The water inflow at barrages on river Indus is as follows, Jinnah 1.42,200 cusecs, Chashma 1,35,600 cusecs, Taunsa 1,31,200 cusecs, Guddu barrage 81,700 cusecs, Sukkur 64,400 cusecs, and Kotri 16,636 cusecs. Irsa has so far conserved about 3.5 MAF water in Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma reservoirs.