ISLAMABAD    -   The Indus River System Authority Monday revised downwards the anticipated water shortage for the provinces from 21 percent to zero, during the early Kharif season, owing to 118 percent higher inflows in rivers system vis-à-vis the previous year, and release of water from Tarbella dam owing to operational constraints.

“The Authority decided that with immediate effect the shortages to the provinces is reduced to zero and distribution is shifted to Para (2) of the Water Apportionment Accord (WAA) 1991,” said spokesman IRSA Khalid Idrees Rana after the emergency meeting of the authority. An emergent meeting of IRSA was held under the chairmanship of Abdul Hameed Mengal, Chairman IRSA/ Member Balochistan, attended by all IRSA Members, Director (Opr) and WAPDA authorities of Tarbela dam, he said.

The meeting was convened in the wake of present rim station inflow trends and Tunnel-5 (T5) constraints of Tarbela dam. WAPDA authorities informed that the restriction of filling of Tarbela Dam to the level of 1470 feet by July 20th  2024 could be curtailed to June 30th , 2024 without affecting the existing works of T5.

Therefore, keeping in view the WAPDA’s revised constraints and the existing water situation, IRSA decided that the water level at Tarbela dam shall be maintained at 1470 feet by June 30th 2024 instead of July 20th 2024, and after that IRSA will be free to fill the dam as per the criteria. However, WAPDA shall make efforts to fill the dam up to 1475 feet in the next 10-days, if possible, to accommodate any variation in the river inflows, Khalid Rana revealed.  

The Authority also decided that with immediate effect the shortages to the provinces is reduced to zero and distribution is shifted to Para (2) of the Water Apportionment Accord (WAA) 1991. Therefore, the increased shares for Early Kharif 2024 are authorized to Punjab & Sindh Provinces. Following the downward revision of the anticipated water shortages, the share of Punjab has increased by 3.158 MAF, from the earlier share determined by the IRSA advisory committee meeting on April 2, and Sindh share increased by 2.744 MAF.

The IAC had determined maximum shares of Punjab and Sindh, for early Kharif season, at 9.266 MAF and 5.548 MAF respectively, which has now increased to 12.424 MAF and 8.292 MAF respectively after revision under para(2), he said. It was also decided by the Authority that the other water distribution parameters as decided in IRSA Advisory Committee (IAC) meeting held on April, 02, 2024 shall remain the same.

On April 2, 2024, the IRSA Advisory Committee (IAC) had anticipated that the country will face up to 30 percent water shortage during the ongoing Kharif season (Started April 1, till end of May), while 7 percent for the later Kharif season (June to September). However, on May 8, 2024, IRSA had downward revised the projected water shortage from 30 percent to 21 percent, for the early Kharif season. Now the anticipated water shortages have been slashed to Zero. The main reason for the downward revision of the shortages to zero is due to high flows in the country’s rivers system and the release of water from Tarbella dam owing to operational constraints.

The water inflows and the live water storage is respectively 118 percent and 217 percent higher than the same period last year. The water inflows in rivers system remained 249900 cusecs as compared to 114400 cusecs during the same period previous Kharif. The live storage is 217 percent higher than the same period last year, the total current live storage is 4.630 MAF, higher than 1.459 MAF available during the same period last year.