IRSA increases water releases for Punjab and Sindh

Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has increased water releases for Punjab and Sindh provinces by 10,000 cusecs each from Monday following greater inflows in the four live rivers of the country. Sources in Punjab Irrigation department told Business Recorder that IRSA has increased these two province's share for sowing and watering of Kharif crops - including cotton, rice, maize, sugarcane, fodder and vegetables.
Under the new water distribution arrangement among provinces, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa will get 3,000 cusecs water through the Chashma Right Bank Canal and Balochistan 4,000 cusecs water through the Pat Feeder canal off the Guddu Barrage from Indus Zone.
Sources said IRSA has increased Punjab share from Indus river to 29,000 from 19,000 cusecs which is being diverted to south Punjab in addition to some supplies from the Jhelum river to sow cotton crop over maximum acreage. Punjab that produces 75 to 80 percent of the strategic cotton, rice, sugarcane and wheat, maze grams, lentils, etc of the total produce of the country is getting 38,000 cusecs from Mangla dam, 30,000 cusecs from Chenab and 29,000 cusecs from Indus river.
Irrigation Consultant M.H. Siddiqui said that following additional releases from Indus river, the department has increased water discharges in Thal canal from 3,000 to 6,000 cusecs, D.G canal from 4,500 to 5,500 cusecs, and Muzaffargarh canal to 4,500 cusecs. The remaining quantity of water is being put in the Taunsa Panjnad canal to supplement water discharges in the canals emanating from the Panjnad headworks.
According to the 10th May report regarding the position of river nflows/outflows and reservoirs levels of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), 2,05,300 cusecs water is flowing into four rim stations of rivers Indus, Kabul, Jhelum and Chenab while IRSA is discharging 1,75,000 cusecs water into irrigation canals.
Inflows in river Indus at Tarbela is 67,300 cusecs and outflows 61,000 cusecs, in river Kabul at Nowshera 49,000 cusecs, Indus at Chashma 1,12,300 cusecs and outflow 86,000 cusecs, Jhelum at Mangla 59,000 cusecs and outflow 35,000 cusecs and Chenab at Marala 30,300 cusecs.
The outflows at five major barrages on river Indus are, Jinnah barrage 1,12,100 cusecs, Chashma barrage 86,000 cusecs, Taunsa 68,700 cusecs, Guddu 41,300 cusecs and Sukkur barrage 7,200 cusecs. The authorities have stored 1.5 MAF water in three reservoirs, with Mangla contributing about 1.1 MAF water for sowing winter crops.
Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) said that due to increased water outflows, the hydel power generation at Tarbela, Mangla, Warsak, Chashma, Ghazi Barotha and other hydel power houses has gone up to 4,200 MW which has greatly helped reduce gap between the demand and supply of electricity in the country.