MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN

ISLAMABAD: As snow melt is very slow due to low temperatures, Tarbela dam, the country’s key water reservoir likely to touch dead level of 1386 feet on Sunday (today), first-ever in the history in the month of July.

This was disclosed by Indus River System Authority (IRSA) spokesperson Rana Khalid on Saturday.

If a reservoir will touch deal level, it implies that releases from stored water are stopped and only whatever comes in will be released to the provinces as per their indents.

He said IRSA has increased outflows from Mangla from 25,000 cusecs to 40,000 c0usecs with immediate effect.

Minimum operating level of Tarbela is 1386 feet, present level 1387.82 feet, maximum conservation level 1550 feet, live storage today 0.018 Million Acre Feet (MAF). Minimum operating level of Mangla is 1050 feet, whereas its present level is 1123.70 feet. Maximum conservation level is 1242 feet while live storage today is 0.889 MAF.

Chashma’s minimum operating level is 638.15 feet whereas its present level is 645.30 feet. Maximum conservation level is 649 feet while live storage was 0.133 MAF on Saturday.

Rana Khalid maintained that Punjab and Sindh will again face shortfall in the system in the next 3 to 4 days but hopefully extend to 15 percent.

He further stated that a weather system having good rainfall will approach by Tuesday/ Wednesday (July 10-11) which may again increase inflows in all major rivers.

On Saturday, inflows in Indus at Tarbela were recorded at 33100 cusecs whereas outflows were 145200 cusecs. Inflows and outflows in Kabul at Nowshera were 49800 cusecs. However outflows in Jhelum at Mangla were recorded at 30800 cusecs against inflows of 46500 cusecs. Inflows in Chenab at Marala were 43400 cusecs while outflows were 13500 cusecs.

According to Water and Power Development Authority, outflows at Jinnah were recorded at 199200 cusecs against inflows of 204200 cusecs whereas in Chashma inflows 214800 cusecs were witnessed compared to outflows of 190000 cusecs. Inflows in Taunsa were 204100 cusecs against outflows of 183300 cusecs while at Panjnad inflows were 13100 cusecs while outflows were zero. Inflows at Guudu were 131200 cusecs whereas outflows were 96400 cusecs. Outflows at Sukkar barrage were 35100 cusecs against inflows of 80100 cusecs. Inflows at Kotri were 39200 cusecs whereas outflows were zero. The inflows and outflows of River Indus at Tarbela and Chashma, River Kabul at Nowshera and River Jhelum at Mangla have been reflected as mean flows of 24 hours, whereas the other flows have been gauged at 6:00 am.