ISLAMABAD - The provinces are likely to face 15 per cent to 20 per cent water shortage for the upcoming Rabi season, mainly due to less rains and early drawdown from the reservoirs, it is learnt reliably here.
According to the IRSA’s anticipation, for the upcoming season, about 10 per cent water shortage is caused by less than forecasted rains and the additional 5 to 10 per cent shortage is due to filling less water in Tarbela Reservoir by WAPDA and early drawdown by from the reservoirs, an official sources told The Nation yesterday. A meeting of the Indus River System Authority’s (IRSA) Advisory Committee has been convened to finalise the Rabi season water distribution plan.
However, the official said, the final decision about the anticipated water shortage for Rabi and determination of provinces share will be made by the committee meeting with the consensus of stakeholders. The decision will be taken in the IRSA’s Advisory Committee meeting to be held here on September 30, which will finalise the provincial share for Rabi season 2016-17.
The Water Accord 1991 empowered IRSA to determine water availability in the country and provincial share twice a year, once for Kharif season and the other for RABI season. Rabi season starts from October 1 while Kharif starts from April 1. Since Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were exempted from cuts in the share, the shortage in water would be distributed between Sindh and the Punjab.
Meanwhile a Press statement issued here by IRSA’s spokesman stated that the meeting of IRSA’s Advisory Committee has been convened for September 30.
The meeting will be presided over by Chairman IRSA Rao Irshad and will be attended by the members of the authority, Members Water and Power WAPDA, provincial Irrigation Secretaries, Provincial Secretaries and officials of Federal Flood Commission.
During previous Rabi season IRSA’s Advisory Committee has anticipated 14 per cent water shortage for the Rabi season but later due to better water availability situation the provinces faced zero shortage. According to daily water report issued by IRSA, the water level in Tarbella reservoir, in the last 26 days, has come down to 1515 feet from 1544.07 feet on September 1. Similarly water level in Mangla Dam has also decreased to 1216 feet from 2136 feet during the same period.