The water inflow in the four rivers, Indus, Kabul, Jhelum and Chenab has fallen to historic low of 97,000 cusecs in the last week of September and coming Rabi crops face up to 40 per cent shortage of ground water availability for sowing and maturity.
Punjab Irrigation department's engineers told Business Recorder that the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has been releasing more than 80,000 cusecs water from Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma reservoirs during this month to meet irrigation and hydel power generation needs of the country.
They said in the past Irsa released run of the rivers water for sowing and nurturing of the summer Kharif crops and reserve the water stored in Tarbela and Mangla Dam and Chashma barrage for winter Rabi crops including wheat, lentils, oil seeds, fodder, etc.
However, they said, due to low inflows in the rivers in September, Irsa which apportions and distributes water among the four provinces released 3 million acre feet water out of 11 million acre feet stored during this year's monsoon season. According to Wapda engineers water inflow at rim station Tarbela on River Indus was 52,800 cusecs, river Kabul at Nowshera 12,000 cusecs, river Jhelum 14,000 cusecs and river Chenab 19,000 cusecs.
IRSA advisory committee is scheduled to meet in Islamabad on Saturday to finalise the provision of water to the provinces for sowing of the Rabi crops. Punjab government says it needs at least 20 MAF water for the Rabi crops. Punjab produces about 80 per cent of the total wheat production of the country.