With scattered rains in various parts of the country and increased inflow of water in the four main rivers during the past week, water availability for sowing of rice and cotton crops have improved.
Earlier, there was 30 percent to 40 percent shortage of irrigation water for Kharif crops which are the main foreign exchange earners for the country, provider of raw material for the textile based industries and employer of millions of farm labourers.
The position of river inflows/outflows at Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma, along with the reservoir levels, and the barrages on Wednesday was as under: Rivers: Indus at Tarbela, inflow 175,600 cusecs and outflow 150,000 cusecs; Kabul at Nowshera, inflow 58,700 cusecs and outflow 58,700 cusecs; Indus at Chashma, inflow 222,700 cusecs and outflow 190,000 cusecs; Jhelum at Mangla, inflows 53.000 cusecs and outflow 30,000 cusecs; and Chenab at Marala, inflow 53,200 cusecs and outflow 28,800 cusecs.
BARRAGES: Jinnah, inflow 209,900 cusecs and outflow 201,900 cusecs; Chashma, inflow 222,700 cusecs and outflow 190,000 cusecs; Taunsa, inflow 180,200 cusecs and outflows 152,200 cusecs; Guddu, inflow 109,600 cusecs and outflow 91,300 cusecs; Sukkur, inflow 79,000 cusecs and outflows 30,300 cusecs; and Kotri, inflow 20,775 cusecs and outflow Nil.
RESERVOIRS LEVEL AND STORAGE: Tarbela level 1399.75 feet, live storage 0,428 million acre-feet (MAF) and dead level 1369.00 feet; Mangla level 1130,85 feet, live storage 1.413 MAF and dead level 1040 feet; Chashma, level 642.20 feet, live storage 0,082 MAF and dead level 637 feet.