Tarbela nearing full capacity: FFD report

Dam to attain maximum conservation level soon

ISLAMABAD:

Incessant rains in catchment areas of the country’s reservoirs have started to bear fruit as Tarbela Dam would soon attain its maximum conservation level at 1,550 feet, as its water level has risen to 1,531 feet.

Tarbela has the maximum live storage capacity of 5.882 million acre feet (MAF), which means that the entire river flow would be let flow downstream as run-of-the-river.

The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) on Monday released statistics of inflows and outflows at the country’s major dams, showing Tarbela Dam to be nearing full capacity. Pakistan is already reeling from massive floods caused by torrential rains, which left scores dead and damaged infrastructure, including homes and roads.

According to the Flood Division, the inflow of water at Tarbela Dam on the Indus River is 297,000 cusecs while the outflow is 243,000 cusecs.

Similarly, the inflow of water at Mangla Dam on the Jhelum River is 54,654 cusecs while the outflow is 10,000 cusecs.

The inflow of water at Marala Headworks on the Chenab River is 95,382 cusecs while the flow of water at Nowshera along the Kabul River is 82,500 cusecs.

Also, according to the announcement, currently Indus and Kabul rivers are flowing in ‘low flood’ at Tarbela-Kalabagh, Kalabagh-Chashma, Chashma-Taunsa, Taunsa-Guddu and Guddu-Sukkur and at Nowshera and Warsak, respectively.

According to a daily FFC report all other main rivers of the Indus River System (Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej) are flowing normal.

The combined live storage of country's three major reservoirs was stood at 6.684 million acre feet (MAF).