IRSA increases water share of provinces

The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Monday revised the provincial share of water and decided to fulfill all indents of the provinces.

The IRSA meeting met with its chairman in Chair here to review water situation in the backdrop of substantial increase in river inflows as a result of increase in mercury level in catchments areas.

The IRSA spokesman said major increase was witnessed in River Indus and River Kabul.

As per the revised decision, Punjab share has been increased from 69,400 cusecs to 93,200 cusecs, Sindh share from 60,000 cusecs to 85,000 cusecs, Balochistan from 8,000 to 14,000 cusecs and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 3,100 cusecs.

He said IRSA had also started to store water in reservoirs after meeting all indents of provinces, the spokesman added.

He said water storage had increased from 0.207 million acre feet (MAF) to 0.373 MAF in last four years.

Water inflow in all major rivers has significantly increase due to shooting up of mercury level in the country on Monday and it stood at 240,500 cusecs against out flow of 210,500 cusecs.

Meanwhile, according to the data released by water level in the Indus River at Tarbela Dam was 1400.81 feet, which was 20.81 feet higher than its dead level of 1,380 feet.

Water inflow in the dam was recorded as 95,600 cusecs while outflow as 70,000 cusecs.

In past few days, water storage in Tarbela reservoir has also significantly improved due to enhance water inflow.

The water level in the Jhelum River at Mangla Dam was 1086.75 feet, which was 46.75 feet higher than its dead level of 1,040 feet whereas the inflow and outflow of water was recorded as 41,900 cusecs and 38,000 cusecs respectively.

The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa and Sukkur was recorded as 120,400, 69,200 and 11,400 cusecs respectively.

Similarly from the Kabul River, 59,300 cusecs of water was released at Nowshera and 32,400 cusecs from the Chenab River at Marala.

APP