Pakistan’s reservoirs received 62% less water than estimated this year: IRSA – Press Release

[ad_1]

A view of the in River Indus at Kotri downstream near Hyderabad on Saturday, May 29, 2021. — PPI/File
A view of the River Indus at Kotri downstream near Hyderabad on Saturday, May 29, 2021 — PPI/File
  • Chairman IRSA says Sindh opposes the construction of dams and demands additional water.
  • Sindh member objects, says province not being provided due share of water.
  • NA Standing Committee on Water Resources’ chairman summons AG to give a briefing on water crisis solution in next meeting.

Chairman Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Rao Irshad Ali Khan said Monday the country’s reservoirs had received 62% less water than estimated this year. 

The IRSA chairman made the statement during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Water Resources, with Nawab Yousuf Talpur in the chair.

The IRSA chairman, while briefing the committee, berated the Sindh government and said that on the one hand, it opposes constructing new dams and on the other, it demands additional water supply.

Responding to the IRSA chairman’s comments, an MNA from Sindh said the province was not being provided 5,000 cusecs of water, which was reserved as its quota.

On the occasion, Punjab Minister for Irrigation Mohsin Leghari said that the issue should not be politicised. the Council of Common Interests is looking into the matter and has asked the attorney general to resolve it.

A representative of the Attorney General’s Office said that the issue of water was more political than technical and should be resolved in the forum of the CCI.

The committee’s chairman said that in the next meeting, the attorney general should come in person and give a briefing on the solution of the water distribution problem through IRSA’s record.

Meanwhile, the committee was also informed that the country faced a 17% shortage of water supply during the Kharif season.

IRSA releases 252,600 cusecs water

IRSA, earlier in the day, said it had released 252,600 cusecs water from various rim stations with an inflow of 267,100 cusecs.

According to IRSA’s data, the water level in the Indus River at Tarbela Dam is at 1436.54 feet, which was 52.54 feet higher than its dead level — 1,386 feet.

The water inflow and outflow in the dam were recorded as 144,900 and 132,500 cusecs, respectively.

The water level in the Jhelum River at Mangla Dam was 1,154.55 feet, which was 116.55 feet higher than its dead level of 1,040 feet, whereas, the inflow and outflow of water were recorded at 42,100 and 40,000 cusecs, respectively.

The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa, and Sukkur was recorded as 161,700, 144,000, and 31,000 cusecs, respectively.

Similarly, from the Kabul River, a total of 34,500 cusecs of water was released at Nowshera and 11,600 cusecs released from the Chenab River at Marala.


— Additional input from APP

[ad_2]