ISLAMABAD - The meetings of both technical and advisory committees of Indus Water River System Authority (IRSA) to finalise water distribution plan for the forthcoming Kharif crops has been postponed for indefinite period due to precautionary measures against coronavirus (COVID-19).
Taking to APP here, IRSA Director Operation and Spokesman Khalid Idress Rana said that it was decided not to hold both the meetings of technical and advisory committee due to the precautionary measures announced by the government against coronavirus. However, he said the provinces were informed to send their demand.
Water would be provided to the provinces as per their demands, he added. He said fortunately situation was better this year as sufficient water was available in the reservoirs. “Around 4.4 million acre feet (MAF) of water is available in the dams this year as compared to only 0.77 MAF in the reservoirs last year,” he said.
Khalid Idress said the country has also received a healthy rainy spells this year and more spell were also expected. The Kharif season would start from April 1, he added. Meanwhile, the IRSA on Tuesday released 64,400 cusecs water from various rim stations with inflow of 84,900 cusecs. According to the data released by IRSA, water level in the Indus River at Tarbela Dam was 1455.35 feet, which was 69.35 feet higher than its dead level 1386 feet. Water inflow in the dam was recorded as 22,900 cusecs and outflow as 5,000 cusecs.
The water level in the Jhelum River at Mangla Dam was 1174.85 feet, which was 134.85 feet higher than its dead level of 1040 feet whereas the inflow and outflow of water was recorded as 27,600 cusecs and 25,000 cusecs respectively.
The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa and Sukkur was recorded as 31,900, 38,800 and 430800 cusecs respectively. Similarly, from the Kabul River a total of 19,100 cusecs of water was released at Nowshera and 9,700 cusecs released from the Chenab River at Marala.