The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Wednesday projected 43% water shortage for April, as it recorded less than normal inflows into the rim-station rivers, following a 31% less snowfall in the catchment areas of Indus and Jhelum this winter.
The Irsa Advisory Committee (IAC) met on Wednesday to discuss the water availability situation for the Kharif 2025 season. However, because of unclear climactical parameters and weather outlook for the summer, it approved water availability for the month of April only, with 43% system shortfall.
The IAC meeting was held, with Irsa Chairman and Member Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Sahibzada Muhammad Shabir in the chair. According to a handout issued after the meeting, the IAC would meet again in the first week of May 2025 to review the water availability.
The meeting was expected to approve the anticipated water availability criteria for the whole of Kharif season (April 1-Sepember 30). It also reviewed the Rabi 2024-25 (October 1-March 31) system operations and showed satisfaction with the season's close at 18% shortage against an anticipated 16%.
The meeting was attended by all IRSA members, relevant engineers, secretaries concerned, senior officials of the provincial irrigation departments, senior technical advisers of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), and others.
During the meeting, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) highlighted that according to the local and global climate models for the months of April, May and June, below normal rainfall and above normal temperatures especially across northern and southern tips of the country were forecast.
The PMD further noted that winter snowfall in the catchments of Indus and Jhelum was recorded at 26.8 inches against the normal of 49.7 inches, ie, 31% less while the inflows into the rim-station rivers would also be less than normal.
After detailed discussion, the IAC approved the water availability only for the month of April 2025 with 43% system shortfall, the handout stated. The water situation will be reviewed again in the first week of May 2025, it added.
Separately, PMD Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Afzal said that the country was facing an unusual weather pattern, leading to severe drought conditions, warning that an alarming decline in winter rainfall pushed dams and water reservoirs to dead levels.
Speaking at a press conference, Afzal said that winter rainfall was 42% below normal, with Sindh receiving 63% less rain, Balochistan 53%, and Punjab 41%. He added that falling water levels in dams and other reservoirs raised concerns over water availability for agriculture and domestic use.
Afzal cautioned that below-normal rainfall was expected in the northern regions, exacerbating the water crisis. The shortage could lead to crop failures, spread of diseases, and a negative impact on wildlife. He urged the public to use water wisely to mitigate the crisis.
"Pakistan is expected to face significant temperature increases in the coming months, with forecasts indicating that temperatures may rise by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius above normal levels. This will increase the likelihood of heatwaves, especially in the southern half of the country," he said. (WITH INPUTS FROM APP)
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