Water storage in major reservoirs plunges to 0.89 MAF

ISLAMABAD - The total water storage in major reservoirs has plunged to alarming level 0.89 million acres feet (MAF), forcing the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to further enhance provincial cut to 14 per cent from 9 per cent.

IRSA spokesman Khalid Rana told that Tarbela and Mangla were at very alarming stage and storage stood at 0.128 MAF and 0.718 MAF respectively. He said last year, the total storage was 6.81 MAF while today was recorded mere 0.89 MAF. Similarly, he said last year, river inflow was 396,000 cusecs while today it stood at 259,000 cusecs.

Some 109,000 cusecs water was released to Punjab, 145,000 cusecs to Sindh, 14,000 cusecs to Balochistan and 3,100 cusecs to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The spokesman said Chenab river after making a peak of 109,000 cusecs has now declined to 72,600 cusecs.

Meanwhile, IRSA on Monday released 272,500 cusecs water from various rim stations with inflow of 258,800 cusecs.

According to the data released by IRSA, water level in the Indus River at Tarbela Dam was 1398.28 feet, which was 18.28 feet higher than its dead level of 1,380 feet. Water inflow in the Dam was recorded 108,600 cusecs while outflow 141,200 cusecs.

The water level in the Jhelum River at Mangla Dam was 1117.05 feet, which was 77.05 feet higher than its dead level of 1,040 feet as the inflow and outflow of water was recorded as 30,600 cusecs and 11,700 cusecs respectively.

The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa and Sukkur was recorded as 166,500, 163,900 and 33,700 cusecs respectively.

Similarly, from the Kabul River, 47,000 cusecs of water was released at Nowshera and 43,600 cusecs from the Chenab River at Marala.