The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) released 2,53,000 cusecs water from the dams and run of the rivers Kabul and Chenab on Sunday out of the total 3,13,000 cusecs inflow in the four live rivers for sowing and irrigating the strategic and cash Kharif crops including cotton, rice, sugarcane, maize, vegetables, fodder for livestock and other essential food crops across the country.
It is worth mentioning that the country is facing 12 percent irrigation water shortage during early Kharif period from 01 April to 10 June as only 10,248 MAF is estimated to be available against the requirement of 11.613 MAF water during this crucial period. Cotton sowing has already been delayed in south Punjab due to closure of one of the most important Muzaffargarh Canal and lesser discharges in the canals emanating from the Indus zone off Chashma and Taunsa barrages.
Punjab irrigation department experts told Business Recorder that water inflows in the rivers have improved during the past two days. 1,34,200 cusecs water is running in the mighty Indus at Tarbela, 60,600 cusecs in the river Kabul at Nowshera, 66,800 cusecs in river Jhelum at Mangla and 53,600 cusecs in the river Chenab at Marala.
They said as the water inflow in the river Kabul and Chenab has increased the water regulatory body has reduced outflow from the Mangla dam as it was much behind its annual filling schedule. IRSA is also retaining about 24,000 cusecs in the Tarbela dam out of 1,34,200 cusec inflow in the Indus river. They said that the combined water inflow in rivers Indus and Kabul has reached the level of 1,68,000 cusecs at Jinnah barrage that is more than sufficient to meet the irrigation and drinking water needs of KPK, Punjab, Baluchistan and Sindh provinces. However the peak of this inflow would reach the Guddu barrage in Sindh province in about a week's time.