Water flow at Taunsa found to be ‘correct’

Punjab Irrigation Dept spokesperson claims no discrepancy in province’s discharge data

LAHORE:

The data provided by the Punjab Irrigation Department on the water discharge at Taunsa Barrage was found to be correct, its spokesperson claimed on Tuesday after a team of independent observers appointed by the water resources ministry inspected the flow.

The irrigation department spokesperson further maintained that the DG Khan Canal’s flow was reported at 4,000 cusecs and the team found it to be 4,001 cusecs.

According to the irrigation department’s data, the Muzaffargarh Canal’s flow was 4,000 cusecs and the team found it to be 3,936 cusecs.

The Taunsa-Panjnad Link Canal’s flow as per the Punjab Irrigation Department’s data was 8,810 cusecs.

The team found it to be 8,413 cusecs, the spokesperson added.

The Barrage downstream data recorded the discharge at 69,000 cusecs and the team found out that it was 69,100 cusecs.

The spokesperson maintained that Punjab's claim of transparency of water discharge data was found to be correct.

However, the team also recently measured water at Guddu and Sukkur barrages and found that Sindh’s claim of missing flows between Taunsa downstream and Guddu upstream was correct.

A member of the team said water flows released from Taunsa barrage for Sindh did not reach Guddu contrary to a claim made by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA).

He added that either there was misreporting at Taunsa or the water was being drawn in Punjab.

When the water shortage in Sindh had aggravated in recent times, IRSA had claimed that flows for the province had been raised up to 67,000 cusecs at Taunsa downstream to meet the shortfall. It had added that the situation for water availability in the province would improve soon.

Separately, a spokesperson for the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) said the inflow at Tarbela Dam was 89,800 cusecs and outflow stood at 100,000 cusecs.

He added that the inflow at Mangla Dam was 35,600 cusecs and outflow was 32,300 cusecs.

The Wapda spokesperson further said the inflow at Chashma was 126,100 cusecs and outflow was recorded at 122,000 cusecs.

The inflow in Chenab River at Head Marala was 30,400 cusecs and the outflow was 15,400 cusecs.

The water inflow in Kabul River at Nowshera was 32,300 cusecs and outflow was 32,300 cusecs.

The spokesperson said the water storage in Tarbela Dam on Tuesday stood at 230,000 acres feet.

Similarly, he added that water storage at Mangla Dam on Tuesday was 199,000 acre feet.

He further said the water storage at Chashma on Tuesday was 100,000 acre feet.

The total water stored in the three reservoirs on Tuesday stood at 529,000 acre feet.