Water inflow in rivers crosses 0.114 million cusecs mark

With highest water inflow in mighty Indus in the last week of March in a decade, the combined water flow in the four rivers has crossed 0.114 million cusecs mark raising hopes that there may be less shortage of water for sowing the strategic Kharif crops including cotton, rice, maize, vegetables, fodder and other traditional crops of the country.
Punjab Irrigation officials said that the rising high temperatures in the upper regions of the country in the second fortnight of March have considerably increase water inflows in the four live rivers. On Thursday, 25th March, 36,400 cusecs water was pouring into the Tarbela dam on river Indus, the highest in 2000-2010 decade, river Kabul at Nowshera 28.600 cusecs, Jhelum at Mangla 35,500 cusecs and river Chenab at Marala 14300 cusecs.
Against the inflow of 0.114 million cusecs water, the Indus River System Authority is releasing over 0.1 million cusecs water into the irrigation canal network across the country for preparing the fields for sowing of Kharif crops.
It may be added that preliminary work of sowing the Kharif crops, especially cotton and rice in Sindh province has already started. The Meteorological department has predicted national weather outlook as follows as westerly trough is still persisting over Kashmir and likely to move north-eastwards.
In Punjab including Islamabad mainly dry weather is expected in most parts of the province during next few days. However, dust-thunderstorm may occur at isolated places in upper Punjab on 26th and again on 29-30th March. In NWFP dry weather in the province during next few days however, thunderstorm-rain may occur at isolated places in Malakand & Hazara division on 26th night and again on 29th and 30th of March.
In Sindh hot and dry weather expected in most parts of the province during next few days, whereas day temperatures likely to remain above normal in most parts of Sindh during next few days. In Balochistan, hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of the province during next few days whereas day temperatures are likely to remain above normal in most parts of Sindh during next few days In Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan thunderstorm-rain may occur at isolated places on 26th night and again from 28-30th March.