- Tarbela Dam has almost no storage.
- Mangla Dam keeps only 0.088 maf.
- IRSA has estimated a shortage of 30–35%water.
Islamabad: The Punjab government has said that due to the loss of water of the growing Indus Stem and the release of Kotri water, the situation of water scarcity has increased.
On March 21 of the Punjab Irrigation Department, the letter to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) was identified that surprisingly big losses in the Indus Stem and the flow in the bottom in Kotri increased, which made the situation worse, Reports Informed
According to the irrigation department, “This has decreased as a result from the lack of an estimated water scarcity by the water regulator.”
To supply water to the Thal and Panjnad canals, the Punjab government has urged IRSA to open the Taunsa-Punjnad (TP) link in the Indus.
The irrigation department said that Punjab is currently not getting any water release from TP Link, Muzaffargarh, or Dera Ghazi Khan Canals.
The Director Regulation Irrigation Department argued that by March 21, the Indus Stem and Downstream was more than the lack of water determined by IRSA due to the loss of real water in the flow of water.
According to the letter, the actual water loss in the Indus Stem has increased by 33% to 1.60 million acre feet (MAF) due to loss of 1.20 MAF.
In the ongoing Rabi season, the Downstream Kotri release was worked on by IRSA at 0.065 MAF. But the actual release was 0.47%, with a 623%increase in water release.
The letter said that if the loss of the Indus stem and the surplus downstream coatri flow (0.805 MAF) were avoided, the resulting water scarcity would have corresponds or fall from the IRSA’s anticipated levels.
Therefore, Punjab wants the provision of canal water to the Thal and Punznad canals through TP links, as per Indent for Integrated Water Resources Management, the letter states in the letter. The Punjab Irrigation Department asked IRSA to take immediate and decisive action to curb the increasing loss in the Indus Stem and the loss of flow in Kotri.
The letter also mentions that IRSA had announced 16% water shortage for the Rabi 2024-25 season, allotted 16.680 MAF out of a total of 19.846 MAF for Punjab.
A comprehensive review of river losses in the Indus Stem reveals different trends compared to allocation of current flow in major rivers and reservoirs.
As of 21 March, the influx in Kabul and Indus rivers is quite above the expectation, while Mangala and Marala flows are significantly below the approximate levels. The flow of Kabul and Indus River is more than 12% and more than 6% respectively. The flows of Mangla Dam and Chenab River are below 36% and 15% expectations respectively.
This difference underlines the requirement of prudent water management and re -actual strategies to customize available resources and reduce the impact of reduction on Punjab’s agricultural sector.
Tarbela Dam has almost no storage, while Mangala Dam only holds 0.088 MAF, which is only 1% of its capacity. The deviation between the approximate flow and the level of the actual reservoir presents a serious concern about the availability of water.
The IRSA has recently estimated a total water shortage of 30% to 35%. Punjab has used 20% less water than its allotted part, while Sindh has drawn 17% less than its eligibility.
