There is enough water available in the rivers and the reservoirs and Indus River System Authority (IRSA) will release water in accordance with the indents of the four provinces for maturity of Rabi crops till 15th April 2011, Punjab Irrigation Canal Regulator and consultant M. H. Siddiqui said talking to Business Recorder, here on Wednesday.
He said Punjab was getting 58,000 cusecs water from the Mangla and Indus zones, which was enough to meet current irrigation water requirements of its Rabi crops including wheat, oil seeds, grams, mustards, vegetables and fodder etc. He said due to unavailability of sufficient water, the irrigation department has allowed its field officers to open non-parennial canals till 20th March so that the crops, which are at maturity stage should not suffer due to shortage of water.
According to 16th March rivers flows and reservoirs level report of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) IRSA is releasing 37,000 cusecs from the Tarbela dam against the inflow of 17,700 cusecs water in the Indus river. River Kabul is contributing 19,700 cusecs water to national water economy. It is releasing 40,000 cusecs water from the Mangla dam against the inflow of 23,300 cusecs in river Jhelum while 16,300 cusecs water is inflowing in river Chenab at Marala headworks.
IRSA is providing 36,300 cusecs water to Sindh province at Guddu barrage. Sindh irrigation engineers are releasing 30,300 cusecs water downstream the Guddu barrage. Sukkur barrage is receiving 27,900 cusecs from where the engineers are discharging about 25,000 cusecs water into the irrigation canals emanating from the Sukkur barrage. Water experts say that there is more than 1 MAF water available in the three main reservoirs of the country, Tarbela 0.495 MAF, Mangla 0.479 MAF and Chashma 0.052 MAF, which is sufficient to meet water needs of Rabi crops till 15th April 2011.
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