With strict instructions from the President to avoid power outages at all costs, the Ministry of Water and Power directed the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on Thursday to update Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) a week in advance of its water releases indent from the Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs so that the hydel generation is planned before time as per demand and supply situation. According to an official source the directives were issued by the Minister for Water and Power, Syed Naveed Qamar, to IRSA during an inter-provincial meeting on water and related issues.
To ensure compliance of his directives, the minister also constituted a sub-committee under Chairman WAPDA comprising IRSA and provincial representatives. WAPDA was directed to immediately inform the high ups in case of any substantial deviation in the advance update of water indents plan by IRSA. It is important to mention that IRSA operates independently on the water releases from water reservoirs based upon the demands of the two major water users Punjab and Sindh. Since WAPDA is not aware in advance of the indents it could not decide the best time for water releases for power generation.
The advance indents will help in better hydel power generation during the peak demand during the winter season. The meeting was informed that the country has storage of 10.5 MAF water in the dams which is 3 MAF more as compared to the average storage of the last ten years. Chairman IRSA and the provincial irrigation secretaries of Punjab and Sindh briefed the meeting on water releases and future water requirements. The minister said the government was taking various steps to reduce the power shortages. Hydel power generation has a major share in the power generation and the generation plan is being furnished on the basis of indents by the provinces. He said timely availability of water indents will enable to make comprehensive arrangements for power generation well before time to reduce the gap between demand and supply.
The source said that IRSA authorities raised the issue of water cess of Rs18 million payable by WAPDA but no firm commitment on release of the amount was made. Under a decision of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), the water regulator IRSA was allowed to collect water cess bills to the provinces on a 6-monthly basis.