The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Friday stated that provinces would face 18 percent water shortage for crops during upcoming Kharif season. While briefing media, Irsa spokesperson Khalid Rana said 110 Million Acre Feet (MAF) water would be available for Kharif season with 67 MAF water to be utilized for Kharif crops.
Punjab would receive 33.23 MAF, Sindh 30.39 MAF, KP 0.82 MAF and Balochistan would receive 2.6 MAF during Kharif season. The technical committee in its meeting had observed that losses would be 40 per cent on Indus River in early Kharif which would gradually be reduced to 20 per cent. Chenab and Jhelum Rivers would face 10 per cent losses in early Kharif which would be reduced to zero percent in late Kharif.
Khalid Rana further stated that the advisory committee had noted that water losses on the Indus River would stand at 35 per cent and all provinces would be provided water in line with their demands in Kharif season. He said that 27.3 MAF water would be available in early Kharif and 82.32 MAF would be available in later Kharif season. Rana noted that representatives of all provinces attended the meeting of advisory committee of Irsa on Friday to finalize water availability during Kharif season.
According to water accounts for Rabi crops provinces utilized 28.3 Million Acre Feet (MAF) against the projected 28.2 MAF. Punjab utilized 15.11 MAF, Sindh 11.65 MAF, KP 0.54 MAF and Balochistan 1.07 MAF. Water availability in rivers during Kharif season would be as follows: 52.26 MAF in Indus River, 17.26 MAF in Kabul, 17.16 in Jhelum and 20.94 MAF in Chenab River.
He said that more than 82 percent water would be available in reservoirs in late Kharif and provinces would start receiving water on Friday according to their demand. Sindh had agreed to provide water to Balochistan till April 5. Rana said that advisory committee had found short term solution of water issue between Balochistan and Sindh by forming a committee that would monitor the water flows under Irsa.
He said that director general metrological department had informed the meeting that the snows would melt in April. The technical committee of Irsa had projected 35 per cent water shortage for crops in Kharif season. Earlier, in the technical committee meeting of Irsa, Sindh raised the issue of water availability in Kharif and demanded that water should not be stored at a time of shortage. It further said that water should be made available for crops during Kharif season before storing it in dams in Kharif season; and additionally water should be released from dams to meet the crops needs in Kharif season.
Balochistan and KP provinces are normally exempted from water rationing during shortage and Balochistan representative said that both KPK and Balochistan should not face water shortage if there is inadequate water availability in the Kharif season. In Pakistan the Kharif season starts from April and main crops are rice, maize (corn) moong, cotton and sugarcane.
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