Pakistan

River flows surge across Pakistan

India's efforts to choke river water flow into Pakistan appear to have failed

Our Correspondent May 04, 2025

A view of the swelling Jhelum River in Muzaffarabad as India releases water without warning. Authorities remain confident that due to the ongoing dry spell and lack of rainfall, Pakistan can manage and store the surplus. PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD:

India's efforts to choke river water flow into Pakistan appear to have failed as total inflows in the country's major rivers surged past 236,000 cusecs, according to data gathered on Saturday.

The latest figures reveal that the cumulative inflow in rivers across Pakistan has reached 236,000 cusecs, with River Chenab at Head Marala alone receiving 66,000 cusecs.

At Mangla, the inflow in the River Jhelum was recorded at 50,000 cusecs. The River Indus at Tarbela saw an inflow of 83,000 cusecs, while the Kabul River at Nowshera recorded an inflow of 36,000 cusecs.

Currently, the total usable water storage in Pakistan's major reservoirs stands at 1.979 million acre-feet.

Besides, around 2,000 cusecs of water is flowing into the Arabian Sea.

The latest water situation paints a picture of abundance despite New Delhi's recent threats and hostile rhetoric surrounding the Indus Waters Treaty.

According to the Wapda, the inflow at Tarbela stood at 83,400 cusecs, with an outflow of 55,000 cusecs.

At Mangla, the inflow was recorded at 50,100 cusecs, while the outflow was 32,000 cusecs. In the case of the River Chenab at Head Marala, the inflow was noted at 40,900 cusecs and the outflow at 26,700 cusecs.

The Kabul River at Nowshera recorded both an inflow and outflow of 36,700 cusecs. At Chashma Barrage, inflows were logged at 101,700 cusecs and outflows at 78,000 cusecs.

As for reservoir levels, the water level at Tarbela on May 3 was 1,435.66 feet with a storage capacity of 658,000 acre-feet. At Mangla, the water level stood at 1,134.80 feet, with the reservoir holding 1.164 million acre-feet.

The Chashma Reservoir recorded a water level of 645.50 feet with 157,000 acre-feet of stored water.

Combined, the three reservoirs - Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma - held 1.979 million acre-feet of usable water.

A Wapda spokesperson clarified that the inflow and outflow figures for Tarbela, Chashma, Mangla, and Nowshera reflect 24-hour average flow rates, whereas data from other stations was recorded at 6:00 am this morning.

Meanwhile, the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on Saturday released 190,200 cusecs of water from various rim stations with an inflow of 236,700 cusecs.