IRSA's technical committee estimate 10-15pc water shortage for early Kharif  

The committee which met with Director Operation Khalid Idress Rana reviewed water inflow in major rivers and finalize water distribution plan for Kharif season.

It estimated that 110 million acre feet (MAF) water would be available while 10-15 MAF would go to sea.

As many as 35 per cent water losses at Indus was reported but member Punjab objected over it and maintained that it was mere 25 per cent.

He called for rectifying the losses figure by IRSA. Member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said that the losses were three times more than total share of their province.

He also demanded for looking into the matter on war footing.

Talking to APP here Wednesday, the IRSA spokesman told that the distribution plan would be formally approved for implementation by IRSA’s Advisory Committee which would meet on April 2.

The Advisory Committee would be presided over by IRSA Chairman Sher Zaman, he said.

He said secretaries irrigation, agriculture of all provinces, members Water and Power WAPDA, Chairman Federal Flood Commission, DG Met Office, members all IRSA members would attend the meeting.

To a question, the spokesman expressed the hope that there would be no water shortage after early Kharif from April 1 to June 10.

Meanwhile IRSA released 96,400 cusecs water from various rim stations with inflow of 75,700 cusecs.

According to the data released by IRSA, water level in the Indus River at Tarbela Dam was 1,393.09 feet, which was 7.09 feet higher than its dead level of 1,386 feet. Water inflow in the dam was recorded as 19,900 cusecs and outflow as 20,000 cusecs.

The water level in the Jhelum River at Mangla Dam was 1,113.20 feet, which was 73.20 feet higher than its dead level of 1,040 feet whereas the inflow and outflow of water was recorded as 29,400 cusecs and 50,000 cusecs respectively.

The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa and Sukkur was recorded as 58,400 cusecs, 32,400 cusecs and 4,500 cusecs respectively.

Similarly from the Kabul River, 10,600 cusecs of water was released at Nowshera and 6,800 cusecs from the Chenab River at Marala.

The total water storage capacity stood at 0.644 million acre feet.