Quarterly report: WAPDA highlights increase in water availability

Cites IRSA indents as reason for falling hydel generation.

LAHORE: A quarterly appraisal report was presented to the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) on Friday. The report pertains to the availability of water in Mangla, Tarbela and Chashma reservoirs and generation of hydel electricity by the authority’s hydel power stations during the third quarter of the current fiscal year (Jan-March 2015).

The authority expressed its satisfaction that 2.75 million acre-feet (MAF) of water is available in the reservoirs at the end of the quarter, which is more than last year and the average of the last ten years.

Last year, 1.986MAF of water was available in the reservoirs during the corresponding period, while the average availability of water during the same period in the last ten years was 0.693 MAF.

This will result in more water available to provinces, which will boost agriculture and contribute to economic growth. It was noted in the meeting that the increase in water is due to more rainfall and additional stored by the raised Mangla Dam.

The meeting noted that 4.012 billion units of hydel electricity were delivered to the national grid by Wapda hydel power stations during the third quarter of the fiscal year 2014-15 against the 4.41 billion units generated during the same period of last year.

Despite more availability of water in the reservoirs, the hydel power stations generated less electricity because of the less water indents placed by the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) due to more than average rains in February and March 2015 in the country, thereby reducing water requirements for irrigation. However, the additional water available in reservoirs will add to electricity generation during peak demand in summer in the last quarter of the fiscal year, observed the meeting.

Wapda further noted that perception on hydel generation is different from reality, as power stations depend on water indents by the Irsa. This was said to shun the belief that more water means more electricity generation.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2015.

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