The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) increased water discharges from the Tarbela and Mangla dam on Thursday to augment hydel power generation and irrigation water for sowing Kharif crops including cotton, rice, maize, vegetables etc. According to April 23rd Wapda report about position of the river inflows and outflows at Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma along with the reservoirs levels and the barrages, the water regulatory body has increased water outflow off Mangla dam from 10,000 cusecs to 20,000 cusecs and off the Tarbela dam from 25,000 to 30,000 cusecs.
The report said that 85,600 cusecs water is flowing in the river Jhelum that is the highest quantity of water running in the river in a decade in the last week of April Owing to unseasonal and heavy rains in the month of March, the authorities have stored more than 4 MAF water in the Mangla dam against its raised capacity of 7.2 MAF. The dam is just 42 ft below its highest level of 1,242 ft.
In the river Indus 38,100 cusecs water is flowing, the authorities are retaining 8,000 cusecs in the dam and out flowing 30,000 cusecs. So far 2.25 MAF water has been stored in the dam against its maximum capacity of 6 MAF. River Kabul is contributing 44,100 cusecs and river Chenab 38,000 cusecs to the water economy of the country.