The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has managed to store 10 MAF water in the Mangla dam on the river Jhelum and Tarbela dam on the mighty Indus till 19th July after meeting irrigation water demands of the provinces for sowing, growing and maturing of Kharif crops including strategic cotton, rice, sugarcane, maize, vegetables and fodder for livestock.
The water regulatory body has stored 5.6 MAF water in the upgraded Mangla dam against its maximum capacity of 7.4 MAF and 4.4 MAF water in the Tarbela dam on the Indus River against its full capacity of 6 MAF water. Besides it released required quantity of water to produce about 5,500 MW cheap electricity from the hydel power houses during this period.
Punjab Irrigation engineers told Business Recorder that since the flowing water in the river Chenab was sufficient to meet the irrigation requirements of the central, western and eastern Punjab in July, only 10,000 cusecs water was discharged downstream the Mangla dam to fill the reservoir as early as possible as the monsoon rains were forecast below normal in the month of August in Pakistan.
WATER FLOWS AT BARRAGES 0N RIVER INDUS Jinnah: Inflows 255100 cusecs and Outflows 247300 cusecs, Chashma: Inflows 252000 cusecs and Outflows 250000 cusecs, Taunsa: Inflows 208600 cusecs and Outflows 188100 cusecs, Guddu: Inflows 184700 cusecs and Outflows 166600 cusecs, Sukkur: Inflows 137400 cusecs and Outflows 88900 cusecs, Kotri: Inflows 64800 cusecs and Outflows 40800
HYDROLOGICAL SITUATION: River Chenab at Khanki was in medium flood level, River Chenab at Marala & Qadirabad, River Indus at Kalabagh & Chashma and River Kabul at Nowshera were in Low flood level. On Wednesday low to medium flooding is expected in the Nullahs of Rivers Ravi & Chenab.
Synoptic Situation: Seasonal low lies over north Balochistan. Monsoon currents are penetrating southern parts of the country. A shallow westerly wave is affecting central and upper parts of the country and likely to persist during next few days. Strong monsoon currents are likely to penetrate upper parts of the country on Friday.
Weather Forecast for today Rain-thunderstorm (with isolated heavy falls) is expected at scattered places in Sindh, eastern Balochistan (Zhob, Kalat, Sibbi, Naseerabad divisions) and south Punjab (Bahawalpur, Multan, Sahiwal, D G Khan divisions). Rain-thunderstorm is expected at isolated places in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, FATA, upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Faisalabad divisions), Islamabad, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Weather Outlook for next 48 hrs: Rain-thunderstorm (with isolated heavy falls) is expected at scattered places in Kashmir, upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Faisalabad divisions), Islamabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, FATA and Gilgit-Baltistan. Rain-thunderstorm is expected at isolated places in south Punjab (Bahawalpur, Multan, Sahiwal, D G Khan Divisions), Mirpurkhas, Zhob divisions.
Total Rainfall (mm) in Last 24 hrs: Punjab: Khanpur 46, Bahawalpur (A/P 16, City 14), R Y Khan 08, Multan, Mianwali 05, T T Singh 03, Jhang 02, KP: Balakot 35, Kakul, Dir 01, Sindh: Larkana 17, Thatta 16, Mithi 14, Badin 12, Sukkur 10, Karachi (Gulshan-e-Hadeed 09, Landhi 05, PAF Faisal, A/P 02, Saddar 01), Shaheed Benazirabad, Moenjodaro 07, Chhor 05, Sakrund 04, Padidan 03, Jacobabad, Rohri 02, Dadu, Mirpurkhas, Tandojam 01, Balochistan: Sibbi 05, GB:Astore 03, Bagrote, 01. Wednwesday's Maximum Temperatures: Dalbandin 43°C, Turbat 42°C, Nokkundi 41°C.