Rabi crop to face 38% water shortage: IRSA

December 07, 2018: Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has said that Rabi season would face 38 per cent water shortage as per forecast by the authority before start of the season.

Talking to APP on Friday, IRSA spokesman Khalid Rana said that all provinces were fully cooperating with the authority.

The provinces were asked to send their plan by December 15 for annual closures for de-silting, he said.

He said the provinces had started to reduce their water indent and Sindh was getting 25,000 cusecs, Punjab 40,000 cusecs, Balochistan 4,000 cusecs and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 1,800 cusecs.

Subsequently after reduction in the provinces demand, the spokesman said the authority has also reduced water discharge from Tarbela and Mangla dams.

Some 28,000 and 26, 000 cusces water was being released from Tarbela and Mangla dams respectively, he added.

To a question, the Spokesman said that as per schedule, canals would be gradually closed from December 25 for annual closure plan.

(APP)