LAHORE: According to the low warning of the Indus River System Authority, Mangla Dam targeted its dead level on Saturday-less than the operating level 1,050 feet-which will hinder agriculture in Sindh and Punjab due to irrigation water shortage in the near future.
On the other hand, the Tarbela Dam is also ready to touch its dead level of 1,402 feet soon, as it recorded the storage level of 1,405.10 on Saturday. The water conservation level in the reservoir of Chashma is also targeting its dead level of 639.20 feet to 638.15 feet.
“Look, water is life for all of us. So, without it, we cannot survive. Don. “At present, the water flowing into the canal is less than the standard, which causes less water for wheat, sugarcane and other crops in the fields.”
According to Mian Ehsanul Haq, chairman of the General Forum of Pakistan Cotton, the water shortage in Sindh can be more severe than in Punjab, as the entire agricultural land/fields there depend on the canal water.
Mangla reached dead level, Tarbela and Chashma reserves almost dry
“There is a break in the underground water in Sindh. That is why the farmers have no choice but to use the canal water to provide water to the crops. So if the canal water is low or not, all the standing crops, including sugarcane, can survive in the coming days.
Mr Haq said that the situation in Punjab, especially the southern parts, could also pose a real threat. He said that the Punjab government had banned the preparation of rice crop cheese in southern Punjab before May.
According to a question, he said that if the situation does not improve, the crops including wheat, which do not yet have the last water – can negatively affect many vegetable crops in sugarkan, tunnel farming and mango gardens.
He further warned, “In addition, crops in Cholistan, where underground water is not sweet but brake, can also be in great trouble.”
Meanwhile, the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) says the Tarbela Dam’s direct storage remained at 0.015 million acre feet (MAF) on Saturday, and its maximum water protection capacity is 1,550 feet. .
The storage level in the Chashma Lake, which has the least operating level 638.15 feet, was recorded as 639.20 feet. Since the maximum protection capacity of the lake is 649 feet, its direct storage is 0.015 mAF.
“The arrival and flow of the Indus River in the Kabul River Kabul and Mangla River in Noshira, in the Tarbela, Jinnah and Chashma, has been shown as a 24 -hour flow, while the other flow is estimated at 6am,”
In a recent letter to the provinces, the IRSA warned Punjab and Balochistan, especially in the final phase of the current crop season to prepare the shortage of water shortages, while operating the water reservoirs at the dead level or around the run -offs.
For the first week of March, IRSA data revealed that the Tarbela Dam has only 73,000 acre feet of water storage. The Mangla Dam had a direct storage of 235,000 acre feet, with a level of 1,088 feet, which is only 28 feet high from 1,060 feet.
The authority further told the provinces that both Tarbela and Mangla reserves could soon target their dead level.
He had already expected the start of the Rabbi season on October 2, 2024, when he estimated the storage in the first 10 days of March to reach the dead level.
Although the reduction of the water storage levels is normal, the wheat crop is currently at an important stage of the last water and should be read for harvesting by the end of this month.
He further revealed that from October 01, 2024 to February 28, Punjab and Sindh suffered a shortage of 20pC and 14pC respectively. In the coming days, he tried necessary arrangements with the provinces to prevent any problem, hoping for more rain mantra.
IRSA spokesman was not available for comments.
Dawn, appeared on March 16, 2025
