No danger to life, property by Indian water release

Chairman Flood Control Commission, I.B. Sheikh on Friday said there was no danger posing to the life and property in the area, following the release of excessive water by India in river Chanab. Speaking in a PTV programme, he said there was an apprehension that above 550,000 cusecs of water will reach at Head Marala but according the observation, the peak level remained at 345,000 cusecs by Thursday midnight and has started to recede now.
Elaborating the flood situation at other stations on the route he said, according to data of this (Friday) morning, 341,000 cusecs of water reached at Khanki Headwork, adding the outflow at this station is the same.
To a question he said, had the amount of water been in accordance with the initial warning it would have posed heavy threat to life and property on the route. The present flow of water is however not expected to spill over the river banks except in some low level areas.
He said, water level at Tarbela dam is 1520 feet at present while the maximum capacity of the reservoir is 1550 feet.
So there is still a capacity of 30 feet at this reservoir, he added.
He said the inflow at Tarbela is 198,000 while the outflow is 173,000 cusecs.
At Mangla, the present water level is 1189.8 feet while the maximum capacity of its storage is 1202 feet.
Explaining the flood situation in river Kabul he said few days back there was 110,000 and 170,000 cusecs water flow at Warsak and Nowshehra respectively which has now declined to 72,000 and 110,000 cusecs.
He said at Guddu the present water flow is 327,000 cusecs which may raise up to 450,000 cusecs vis-a-vis Chanab phenomena, adding the barrage has the strength to bear this burden.
At Kotri with a flow of 162,000 cusecs, the situation is normal at present, he said.
There are also the normal water flow conditions in the downstream of Sukkur barrage, he added.
Although the conditions are not alarming at present, the entire administrative machinery is busy round-the-clock to cope with any emergency situation.
He said the Water Commissioners of Pakistan and India remain in constant contact to have fresh information about the conditions of rivers, adding, country's own institutions are also monitoring the situation continuously.
He said the installation of a radar at Mangla is also under planning to have up to date information about the rivers flowing into Pakistan from India.