M RAFIQUE GORAYA

Lahore: The acute water shortage in the canals emanating from Chashma and Taunsa barrages on the Indus river that irrigate south Punjab along with water mismanagement and ill-planning have delayed sowing of cotton crop, Punjab irrigation canal regulators and growers’ representatives told Business Recorder

Punjab Irrigation consultant M H Siddiqui said that south Punjab has been getting only 30 percent of its indent of 20,000 cusecs water downstream the Chashma barrage till Sunday that has seriously delayed the sowing of the country’s most valuable cash crop and raw material for the dominant textile industry during its ripe time that ends on 25th May.

Besides, he said the Water and Power Development Authority , Wapda had started brick-lining of the strategic Muzaffargarh canal at a very inappropriate time and kept the canal closed till 10th May causing angry protests among the cotton growers in south Punjab.

It may be added that the Punjab government has set a target of sowing of cotton over 6 million acres of land to produce 10 million bales, However cotton sowing in cotton growing belt especially in Rahimyar Khan, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and D G Khan districts has been very slow due to less availability of water in the canals and flawed water distribution mechanism.

Convenor Punjab Water Council Farooq Bajwa was of the view that whenever there is an increase in the water flow of Jhelum and Chanab rivers, the water regulatory body reduces Punjab’s share from the Indus zone without releasing that farmers of Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur districts are totally dependent on the Indus water. These districts produce over four million bales of cotton annually and any delay in sowing can reduce the yield per acre, he added.

He said that Irsa was discharging 17,000 cusecs water downstream the Punjnad head-works on the river Chanab to provide more water to the Sindh province reducing the irrigation water inflow in Punjnad and Abbasia canals from 13,000 cusecs to 10,000 cusecs to irrigate cotton crop in Bahawalpur and Rahimyar Khan districts which are two big cotton production areas in the country.

Rivers flows and reservoirs level position of 15th May:

Rivers: Indus at Tarbela: Inflows 11,5400 cusecs and Outflows 65,000 cusecs, Kabul at Nowshera: Inflows 47,400 cusecs and Outflows 47,400 cusecs, Jhelum at Mangla: Inflows 64,000 cusecs and Outflows 40,000 cusecs, Chenab at Marala: Inflows 50,000 cusecs and Outflows 23800 cusecs.

Barrages:Jinnah: Inflows 88700 cusecs and outflows 81700 cusecs, Chashma: Inflows 94300 cusecs and Outflows 105000 cusecs,Taunsa: Inflows 82900 cusecs and Outflows 71,900 cusecs, Panjnad: Inflows 27300 cusecs and Outflows 17300 cusecs, Guddu: Inflows 65000 cusecs and Outflows 58,200 cusecs, Sukkur: Inflows 52200 cusecs and Outflows 14200 cusecs, Kotri: Inflows 13100 cusecs and Outflows nil.

Reservoirs (Level and Storage):

Tarbela: Minimum operating level 1380 feet, present level 1413.10 maximum conservation level 1550 feet, live storage today 0.521 million acre feet (MAF).

Mangla: Minimum operating level 1040 feet, present level 1133.60 feet, maximum conservation level 1242 feet, live storage today 1.423 MAF.

Chashma: Minimum operating level 637 feet, present level 645.50 feet, maximum conservation level 649 feet, live storage today 0.220 MAF.