Provinces to face 17% water shortage
The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) – which regulates water releases – has projected 17% water shortage for the upcoming Rabi sowing season and turned down Balochistan’s demand for an additional 200,000 cusecs to make up for water losses in the Kharif season.
According to sources, Sindh and Punjab took a strong stance to resist the demand of Balochistan for supply of 400,000 acre feet (200,000 cusecs) of extra water during Rabi. They argued that it was not possible for them to curtail their consumption and provide additional water to Balochistan at a time of overall shortfall of 17%.
A meeting of Irsa’s advisory committee, presided over by authority chairman Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, also decided that the two larger provinces – Sindh and Punjab – would share the shortage and Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa would be exempted because of infrastructure constraints there.
Following strong stance against Balochistan, Irsa body rejected the demand of additional water by Balochistan which argued that it had not received its full water share during Kharif in the earlier part of the kharif season which resulted in less sowing of crops. Balochistan representative said that its farmers suffered a loss because of floods and less crops also. As compensation, it demanded 200,000 cusec water for Rabi over and above its seasonal share.
The Irsa technical committee had earlier estimated 19% shortage that was reduced to 17% owing to improve carry over resources in reservoirs at the end of Kharif season. Therefore, it estimated total water availability of about 32.2 million acre feet including river flows of 20.8MAF and carryover storage of 11.4MAF. The Irsa estimated system losses at 1.75MAF and 0.04MAF of water escapage downstream Kotri.
On the basis of overall availability, the advisory committee allocated 16.35MAF share to Punjab, 12.34MAF to Sindh, 1.02MAF for Balochistan and 0.70 MAF for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Because of negligence of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) in upraising of Mangla Dam, the required water reservoir level of 14.2MAF could not be attained and country could face water shortfall during Rabi season, adding Chashma and Tarbela are filled with surplus water.
Officials said, however, possible shortfall could be observed towards the end of the season. The main reason of the low availability was decline in ground water. Below normal temperature in April and May 2012 slowed down the glacier melting process thus further squeezing the surface water supply for Kharif season.
According to water situation report, on Indus system, 68,600 cusecs water inflow was recorded in Terbella and outflow from the dam up to 67,900 cusecs, similarly on upper stream of Kalabagh, water discharge was recorded up to 92,206 cusecs and discharge on downstream was up to 85,906 cusecs while remaining water of 6,300 cusecs was diverted to Thal canal.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2012.
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