–Water level at Tarbela drops to 30ft above ‘dead level’, 63ft in Mangla, says IRSA
LAHORE: The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on Thursday warned there is an oncoming water shortage in the country as water levels in two main dams – Mangla and Tarbela — are decreasing.
According to IRSA officials, “Water levels in Tarbela and Mangla dams are declining and it could lead to severe water scarcity in Pakistan in the next few days.”
“The water level in Tarbela Dam is currently at 1,416ft, only 30ft above the ‘dead level’, whereas, in Mangla, the water level is 1,113ft which is only 63ft above the crisis level,” the authority said.
IRSA further said, “The two dams could not get enough water to be filled to their maximum capacity this year. Resultantly, any water scarcity could lessen the share of water for Sindh and Punjab.”
It was further reported that the country faces an imminent water crisis; official projections show that the country will run dry by 2025 when it will be hit by an “absolute scarcity” of water with less than 500 cubic metres available per person.
Keeping in consideration the water crisis in the country, the Supreme Court had ordered immediate construction of Bhasha Dam and Mohmand Dam.
The apex court had ordered the federal government, WAPDA and the executive authority to take effective measures in light of unanimous decisions of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to develop the 4,500MW Bhasha Dam and 700MW Mohmand Dam.
The groundbreaking of Mohmand Dam will be performed in the first week of January by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The dam is slated to produce 800 megawatts of electricity and irrigate 17,000 acres of land.
