The country's biggest water reservoir, Tarbela Dam was just three feet short of its maximum reserve level of 1,550 ft on Thursday and would be filled in two days. Punjab Irrigation Canal Regulator, M. H. Siddiqui told Business Recorder, here on Thursday. He said Indus River System Authority is retaining only 30,000 cusecs water in the dam and discharging 1,52,000 cusecs downstream the reservoir as the dam would be filled to its maximum capacity of 6.6 MAF water on Sunday.
Siddiqui said that the recent rains, low flood in River Sutlej and increased water flow in River Chenab have helped Irsa to fill the dam to its full capacity which seemed doubtful earlier this month. He said that Irsa is struggling to fill Mangla dam to 1,210ft level, eight ft above last year's level. It has so far filled the dam to the level of 1,204 ft, still six ft short of its target level.
He said Punjab has further reduced its withdrawal of water from Mangla Dam by 3,000 cusecs so that the second biggest dam could be filled during September 2011 so that maximum quantities of water was available for sowing and maturing the winter crops from October to April.
He said due to significant rains in the upper regions of the country, water inflow in the rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab has increased. There has been an increase of 42,000 cusecs water in river Indus, 30,000 cusecs in river Chenab and 10,000 cusecs in River Jhelum during the past two days.
According to the 25th rivers flows and reservoirs level report of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) water flow in River Indus at Jinnah was 1,45,300, 1,26,800 cusecs at Chashma, 1,21,100 cusecs at Taunsa, 1,14,200 cusecs at Guddu, 81,100 cusecs at Sukkur and 39,000 cusecs at Kotri Barrage. Sindh Irrigation Engineers are discharging 30,000 cusecs in the Indus Delta.
Meanwhile, Flood Forecasting Centre Lahore has said that River Sutlej at G.S.Wala is in Medium Flood Level whereas all other major rivers are flowing below the low flood level. It said 61,100 cusecs water is flowing in Sutlej River at Ganda Singh Wala and 26,300 cusecs at Islam headwork. The floodwater in the river is heading towards Panjnad head works in Rahimyar Khan district on he border of Punjab and Sindh provinces. About the ongoing monsoon spell, the Met Office said that it is likely to remain active in Pakistan during the next seven days that would produce widespread rains with isolated heavy falls in different parts of the country during this period.