Rains cool Sindh-Punjab water dispute

Shortage likely to end in 10 days if fresh monsoon spell of downpours continues

ISLAMABAD:

The fresh spell of monsoon rains has reduced the country’s water shortage to 5% only and it is likely to end in 10 days, helping in bringing an end to the dispute between Sindh and Punjab over water.

Water flow in rivers has increased to 200,000 cusecs. The discharge from Chashma Barrage has increased by 10,000 cusecs from 160,000 to 170,000 cusecs.

The water shortage in the canals of Sindh will end in eight to 10 days.
The inflow of water in Indus River at Tarbela is 156,000 cusecs. The flow of water in Kabul River at Nowshera is 34,000 cusecs.

The inflow of water in the Jhelum River at Mangla is 40,000 cusecs.

The inflow of water at Marala in Chenab River is 67,000 cusecs.

The water storage in the dams is 2.85 million acre feet. Tarbela Dam could fill if rains continue as usual.
However, Mangla Dam will not be able to fill even this year.

Sources said Mangla Dam had a storage capacity of 7.3 million acre feet. The dam currently has 1.9 million acre feet of water.

Tarbela Dam has a storage capacity of 5.8 million acre feet. It currently has 800,000 acre feet of water.
The monsoon rains have started in the upper and central parts of the country.
The twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, upper Punjab, central Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, upper parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan received torrential rains on Saturday morning.

During the last 24 hours, the most rainfall was recorded in Hafizabad at 63mm, followed by Islamabad at 55mm, Rawalpindi 42mm, Jhelum 42mm, Malam Jabba 26mm, Mandi Bahauddin 23, Lasbela 15mm, Rawalpindi 13mm, Chakwal 11mm,  Panjgur 10mm, Muzaffarabad 8mm, Parachinar 6mm, Murree 5mm , Lahore 4mm and Upper Dir 2mm.

According to the Met Department, heavy rains might cause flooding and landslides in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Rains are expected to continue in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujarat, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Sargodha and Mianwali till Wednesday. There will be thunderstorms in Khushab, Bhakkar and Layyah.