ISLAMABAD Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar has asked IRSA that the indents may be placed seven days in advance to Wapda for water releases from Tarbela and Mangla dams so that the generation plan may be furnished well before time as per demand and supply situation. He made these instructions while presiding over an inter-provincial meeting on water and other related matters held here Thursday. The meeting was attended by Secretary Water and Power, Chairman Wapda, Chairman IRSA, Chairman Federal Flood Commission, Joint Secretary Water, Member (Water) Wapda, Provincial irrigation secretaries and other senior officials of the Ministry. Wapda has been asked to inform all concerned in case of any substantial deviation in the indent plan. The Minister also constituted a sub-committee comprising IRSA and provinces, under the chairmanship of Chairman Wapda, and asked to submit a plan of water releases from dams for the coming Rabi season. The Minister, while presiding over the meeting, said that the government is taking various steps to reduce the power shortages. He said hydel power generation has major share in the power generation and the generation plan is being furnished on the basis of indents by the provinces. He said that timely placement of indent will enable the government to make comprehensive arrangements for power generation well before time to reduce the gap between demand and supply. Government is giving priority to the hydel power generation to produce cheaper electricity. The country has more than 60,000 MW hydel power generation potential. Various projects of hydropower generation and dams are being constructed in this regard to end the energy crisis, he said. 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 last ten years. Earlier, the Chairman IRSA and the secretaries of Punjab and Sindh briefed the meeting on water releases and future water requirements, respectively.