ISLAMABAD   -  Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has convened the meeting of its advisory committee next week to finalise water availability plan for the upcoming Rabi season as the early anticipated water shortage for the ongoing Kharif season is likely to decrease from the early anticipated 27pc to 15-20pc.

Meeting of the IRSA’s technical committee was held on September 25, while meeting of the advisory committee has been convened on October 2, official source told The Nation.

The meeting of the technical committee, chaired by Director Regulation IRSA Khalid Idrees Rana, has recommended a shortage of 15 to 20 percent during the ongoing Kharif season against the anticipated 27pc shortage, the source said. The water shortage during the previous Kharif season 2022 was 25pc, but during the ongoing years owing to better water availability situation the shortage has decreased.

The advisory committee, chaired by Chairman IRSA, will take up the recommendations of the technical committee for final approval.

Besides firming up the shortage for ongoing Kharif season, the advisory committee will finalise the water availability plan for the upcoming Rabi season starting October 1. Similarly, the meeting also discussed WAPDA constraints regarding various projects and progress on those projects.

Similarly the annual canal closure will also be approved in the meeting of the committee. 

The Water Accord 1991 empowered IRSA to determine water availability in the country and provincial share twice a year, once for Kharif season and the other for Rabi season. Rabi season starts from October 1 and ends on March 31, while Kharif starts from April 1 and continue till September 30. Since Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) were exempted from cuts in the share, the shortage of water would be distributed between Sindh and Punjab.