ISLAMABAD: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Wednesday decided to increase Tarbela Dam’s storage to 20,000 cusecs in order to minimise chances of flood in the Indus river and to increase the dam’s water level.
The water watchdog held a meeting to review the water flow in the rivers after the beginning of monsoon rains. The authority decided to increase water storage in Tarbela Dam to 144,200 cusecs per day. Irsa’s official spokesperson said the water level in Tarbela Dam has increased by 1,468 feet and with 144,200 cusecs daily storage, it would further rise by 6 feet per day. The dam’s maximum storage capacity is 1,550 feet.
He said the decision to reduce outflow would not have any impact on the provincial water share. Sindh would keep getting 240,000 cusecs of water, Punjab will get 140,000 cusecs, Balochistan, 13,000 cusecs and Khyber-Pakthunkhwa, 3,000 cusecs.
The official said water would take another four days to reach the 1,510 feet level, a point after which the authority cannot store more than one foot water per day due to certain constraints. After reaching this level the maximum per day storage would be 25,000 cusecs, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 22nd, 2010.
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