Kharif crops Punjab puts up 106,000 cusecs of water indent

As the sowing of Kharif crops has began in the province, the Punjab Irrigation department has put up a water indent of 1,06,000 cusecs to Indus River System Authority(Irsa) for release of water in the irrigation canals of both the Indus and Mangla zones with immediate effect.
Punjab canal regulator Engineer Husnain told Business Recorder here on Monday that Punjab was drawing about 25,000 cusecs water from the Indus zone and 80,000 cusecs water from the Mangla zone to provide water to areas under command of three Eastern rivers namely Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. He said the department was releasing 30,000 cusecs water in the canals emanating from the river Ravi through Marala-Ravi link canal (15,600 cusecs) and Qadirabad-Balloki link canal (22,000 cusecs).
He said the water regulatory body (Irsa) is releasing 60,000 cusecs water downstream the Mangla dam which is being supplied to Central, Eastern and South Punjab through the sprawling network of link canals The river Chenab is contributing 32,400 cusecs water at Marala head-works near Sialkot of which 15,600 cusecs is being discharged in the Marala-Ravi link canal, 10,600 cusecs in the strategic Upper Chanab Canal (UCC) and 5,900 cusecs downstream the head-works in the river.
He said from the Indus zone Punjab is drawing 7,500 cusecs water in the Thal canal, 2,000 cusecs in the C-J- link, 1,000 cusecs in the T-P link canal, 7,000 cusecs in the D G Khan canal and 6,500 cusecs in the Muzaffarabad canal. The department is releasing about 12,000 cusecs water in two Abbasia canals taking off from the Punjnad headworks on river Chanab to irrigate crops in the districts of Bahawalpur and Rahimdyar Khan famous for cotton, wheat and sugarcane production.
He said there is sufficient water in the rivers and dams to meet all irrigation water needs of the provinces till 10th June for sowing and growing of Kharif crops, including cotton, rice, sugarcane, vegetables, fodder and fruit orchards. Sindh Irrigation department is discharging 70,500 cusecs water downstream the Guddu barrage in the Indus river; 19,000 cusecs downstream the Sukkur barrage and 1,334 cusecs water in the Indus Delta after filling all the irrigation canals of the province.