ISLAMABAD: Due to less snowfall in winter, the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) in April anticipated and unanimously announced a 31 per cent shortage of water from April 01 to June 10. However, since April, the actual available water remained a further 15 per cent less due to which the storages have touched dead levels. The earlier anticipated shortage of 31 per cent is therefore likely to increase up to 45 per cent to 50 per cent.
Since April, the availability of water has been at its lowest in the last 16 years. This has caused a reduced generation of hydropower; the stats are the worst in the past five years.
Keeping in view the gradual increase in temperature, IRSA expects that the availability of water will get better in the first week of June to an extent, at least, to cater for the minimum water requirements of the country.
By the end of June, however, it is expected that enough water would be available to meet the maximum irrigation requirements of the country. The shortage of water is adversely affecting sowing of Kharif crops and the generation of hydel power.
In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shahiq Khaqan Abbasi and attended by the Power Division minister and the PM’s secretary, the Ministry of Water Resources secretary gave a brief on the current water situation in Pakistan.
The PM was informed that according to the data obtained from IRSA and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), a water shortage being faced is coinciding with the ongoing Kharif season due to significantly less snowfall in the catchments during the preceding winter season.
In the past ten years, the minimum snow cover was recorded in the year 2010 which was around 45 per cent of the catchment area, whereas, in the current year it is 5 per cent less than the past minimum value and the current recorded area is around 40 per cent. It may also be mentioned that the snow cover during last year was 54 per cent.
A five-year comparison of water storage as of May 10 in Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma reservoirs according to the IRSA record is as follows:
A five-year comparison of water storage as of May 10 in Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma reservoirs according to the IRSA record is as follows:
| Year
|
Storage | Shortfall in Current Year
with respect to previous years |
|
| MAF | MAF | (%) | |
| 2013 | 0.8 | -0.5 | 64% |
| 2014 | 3.0 | -2.7 | 91% |
| 2015 | 7.4 | -7.1 | 96% |
| 2016 | 4.2 | -4.0 | 93% |
| 2017 | 1.6 | -1.3 | 83% |
| 2018 | 0.3 | – | – |