The water flow in two main rivers Indus and Jhelum has come down to the lowest level in a decade during the monsoon and the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) is struggling to fill the dams on these rivers, ie, Tarbela and Mangla, respectively, to their capacity before the rainy season is over and winter sets in.
According to Flood Forecasting Centre Lahore report of 21st August 133,000 cusecs water is flowing in the Tarbela dam on river Indus while 80,000 cusecs water is being discharged downstream for power generation and irrigation purposes as compared to last year's (2010) inflow of 339,000 cusecs and outflow of 303,999 cusecs water from the dam.
Similarly water flow in river Jhelum at Mangla dam has fallen to a disappointing level of 16,302 cusecs as compared to 73,000 cusecs last year whereas the two dams had already been filled to their capacity in the middle of August 2010.
Punjab Irrigation engineers told this scribe that after substantial reduction in the outflow downstream the Tarbela dam in the wake of floods in lower Sindh and low flood in the dormant river Sutlej in south-east Punjab, IRSA had managed to fill Tarbela dam to the level of 1,541 ft till Sunday 21st August 2011 which is still 9 ft short of maximum conservation level of 1,550 ft. The authorities have so far stored more than 6 MAF water in the reservoir.
The authorities say that they have lost the hope of filling the Mangla dam to its maximum level of 1,210 ft as water inflow in the river has come to the minimal level of 16,300 cusecs whereas IRSA is releasing 13,000 cusecs water from the dam for hydropower generation and crop irrigation. The dam has been filled to the level of 1,202 ft, still 8 ft below its maximum conservation level. They say if there were no significant rains in the catchments areas of the river till 30th September, then they would have to plan water distribution among the provinces for winter Rabi crops in accordance with the available water in the reservoirs.
Meanwhile low flood in river Sutlej has augmented water availability in the south-east Punjab as Punjab irrigation department is utilising this water through Sulemanki and Islam head-works for filling the irrigation canals which irrigate crops in the districts of Kasur, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Rahimyar Khan. After this low flood in river Sutlej, Punjab has reduced water withdrawals from the Jhelum and Indus zones so that maximum water could be conserved for sowing and maturing the winter crops including strategic wheat, oil seeds, lentils, grams, mustards, fodder, vegetables, etc.
Flood Forecasting Centre said that 49,500 cusecs water is flowing in river Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala and 46,000 cusecs at Sulemanki head works. Some low- lying areas have been inundated. All other rivers are flowing below the flood level.
In its forecast for Monday, Met office has said mainly hot and Dry weather is expected in most parts of the country. However isolated rain/thundershower may occur in north-east Punjab, Lower Sindh and Kashmir.
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