The recent winter rains in the country have not only greatly benefited the rabi crops including wheat, canola, gram, vegetables, fodder etc, but also increased water inflows in the four rivers by 60 thousand cusecs.
Before the rains, the water inflows in the rivers Indus, Kabul, Jhelum and Chenab had come down to about 42,000 cusecs and there was unprecended 40 percent shortage of water for irrigation needs of the current year's rabi crops.
The Indus River System Authority had been releasing water from the three water reservoirs Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma as per indents of the provincial governments. The nation had been offering special prayers in the middle of December for rains to end the long spell of drought and water scarcity in the country.