LAHORE: Pakistan is set to throw 35 million acre feet (MAF) water to the sea in the current flood season against the storage of 10 MAF water in Mangla and Tarbela dams, said sources from the flood forecasting division of Pakistan meteorological department.
Pakistan would throw three and a half times more floodwater to the sea than what is stored in the reservoirs, they added. So far, they said, some 28 MAF has gone to the sea from Kotri downward and another 7 MAF water is likely to be passed on to the sea by a week time. It is also worth noting that the total storage capacity of the two dams is 13.5 MAF throughout the season, while the actual storage is not more than 10 MAF as only 53 percent of Mangla dam could be filled till date. The maximum level of the dam is 1192.6 feet.
According to the sources from the flood division, an outflow of 575,000 cusecs water was passing through Kotri at present during the 24 hours while 500,000 cusecs water equals to one MAF.
They have further pointed out that there is a saying in the rural folk of Sindh that the water thrown to the sea never goes wasted, rather it is stored there that can be utilized as and when required.
According to the sources, the floodwater would not be dried up until the end of December as the Chief Minister Sindh has vowed to carry out late sowing to cultivate wheat until December-end instead of the original deadline of November.
Meanwhile, the PMD has issued a latest warning on Tuesday, pointing out that a well marked monsoon low over central parts of Madhya Paradesh is likely to affect the upper catchments of Eastern Rivers (Sutlej, Ravi & Chenab) from 17th September and flows may increase in Eastern Rivers along with their associated nullahs/tributaries from 18th September onwards.
A similar alert had been issued a week earlier, saying that a new system was likely to take birth in the Bay of Bengal and once created it would bring heavy downpour to India where dams are already filled up by 85 percent. Accordingly, there would be no option for it but to spill over the floodwater to three eastern rivers of Pakistan. However, the ongoing spell of westerly waves played a vital role in dying out the impact of such an occurrence.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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