The Indus River System Authority reduced water releases from Tarbela and Mangla dams on Friday to conserve water for sowing, growing and maturing winter crops including staple food wheat, oilseeds, grams, vegetables and fodder. It curtailed water outflow off Tarbela dam on river Indus from 36,000 cusecs to 15,000 cusecs and from Mangla dam on the river Jhelum from 40,000 cusecs to 30,000 cusecs. The cuts in the water releases have also reduced hydel power generation.
In its weather report for Saturday, the Met Office said that a fresh westerly wave has started affecting western parts of the country and is likely to persist over upper and central parts till Monday. Forecast for today: Scattered Rain-thunderstorm accompanied by gusty winds is expected in KP (Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan, Bannu, D.I Khan divisions), FATA, Islamabad, Upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad divisions), Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, while at isolated places in Multan, DG Khan, Quetta, Zhob divisions).
Weather outlook next 48 hrs: Scattered Rain-thunderstorm accompanied by gusty winds is expected in KP (Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan, Bannu, D.I Khan divisions), FATA, Islamabad, Upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad divisions), Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, while at isolated places in Multan, DG Khan, Quetta, Zhob divisions).
