IRSA settles water releases… for now

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Although the Advisory Committee of the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on Friday amicably resolved the issue of water releases for the early Kharif period but with estimated water losses of 40 percent and overall shortage of 10 percent for the current season, the provincial discord on water releases is likely to intensify by the next meeting in late May if the water inflows did not improve.
An official source said that the Punjab raised objection over the estimated 40 percent losses for the season but the other provinces opposed it on the grounds that during low water inflow period the losses were on the higher side. It was pointed out that since the record of inflows and outflows was done manually there was less acceptability of the reliability of the figures. The revival of telemetry system was again stressed at the meeting. Even Chairman IRSA Mazhar Ali Shah later talking to reporters accepted that telemetry system was required to mechanically access the data. He said that they were considering on reviving the telemetry system. The telemetry system was deployed at a cost of Rs 380 million in 2003-04 to counter the provincial disharmony over the water inflows but the system failed to take off due to number of reasons including providing of substandard equipment by the contractor and non installation of equipment on provincial borders due to law and order issues. About the water availability for the season, he said, it was estimated at 63.88 million acre feet (MAF), out of which Punjab will be getting 31.65 MAF, Sindh 28.82 MAF, Balochistan 2.56 MAF and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 0.82 MAF. He said the shortage for the early Kharif period from April 1 to June 10 was estimated to be 20 percent but overall the water shortage is estimated to remain 10 percent during the whole season till September 30. According to the source, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) representatives informed the meeting that the resettlement issues with the Mangla dam affectees were resolved and the reservoirs would be filled to 1242 feet for this year. The previous maximum level of the reservoir was 1202 feet. They gave a green signal for normal water releases during the early Kharif period as the reservoir will filled to the brim in the monsoon season, July-August period. Representatives of the Met Office informed the meeting that the water inflows will start turning normal from April 15 with the rise in temperatures and more water will be coming in the rivers as their catchment areas have received heavy snow during the last winter season.

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