ISLAMABAD: IRSA Advisory Committee (IAC) on Thursday decided to convene IRSA Technical Committee (ITC) to re-plan water availability criteria for Kharif crops 2023, after WAPDA changed its earlier stance on Tarbela 5th Extension.

According to an official statement, the Advisory Committee meeting was convened at IRSA Headquarters, Islamabad, on Thursday to finalise Kharif crops 2023 (Apr-Sep) water availability criteria.

The meeting was attended by the four provinces, WAPDA, PMD, Chief Engineering Adviser and all IRSA members.

While considering the recommendations of IRSA Technical Committee (ITC), it was brought to the notice of the Advisory Committee by WAPDA that operational constraints regarding Tarbela-5 project execution had changed from the earlier committed outflow parameters.

It was further noted that Tarbela Dam operational constraints, agreed by WAPDA on Sept 21, 2021, for the construction works of raising the outlet level of T5 have now been altered.

In this changed scenario it was decided to convene the ITC meeting again in order to re-plan 2023’s Kharif water availability criteria. Therefore, the Advisory Committee meeting to finalise/approve Kharif 2023 water availability criteria would be held after ITC’s recommendations based on the changed parameters. IRSA, in its official statement, has, however, not mentioned any date for meeting of Technical Committee.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023