The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) curtailed outflows from Tarbela and Mangla dams on Friday to store maximum water in the reservoirs during the remaining monsoon / rainy days for sowing and maturing the coming winter crops including wheat, lentils, grams, oil seeds, fodder, vegetables etc.
According to August 24 rivers flows and reservoirs level report of Wapda, the water regulatory body has reduced water outflow off Tarbela dam from 1,40,000 cusecs to 1,20,000 cusecs as rivers Kabul and Chanab are supplying sufficient water to the canal irrigation network across the country.
The report said 2,57,200 cusecs water was running in River Indus at Tarbela, 46,500 cusecs in River Kabul, 33,400 cusecs in River Jhelum at Mangla and 84,000 cusecs in River Chenab at Head Marala in Sialkot district. Irsa has so far stored about 8 MAF water in the reservoirs against the target of 12 MAF water, Tarbela 4.6 MAF, Mangla 3.2 MAF and Chashma 0.216 MAF. Chashma Barrage has been filled to its full capacity.
Punjab has also reduced its water withdrawals from the river Indus and closed 12,000 cusecs Taunsa Punjnad (TP) link canal in view of inflow of 27,800 cusecs water in the Punjnad headworks which supplies irrigation water to the Bahawalpur and Rahimyar Khan districts.
HYDROLOGICAL SITUATION: River Kabul at Nowshera is in low flood level and all the other major rivers are flowing below low flood level across the country.
SYNOPTIC SITUATION: Seasonal low lies over north-west Balochistan. Monsoon currents are penetrating in upper parts of the country. Thursday’s monsoon low over Haryana has become insignificant, while westerly wave over Northeast Afghanistan persists.
WEATHER FOR TODAY: More rain/thundershower likely at isolated places of Kashmir, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Hazara, Kohat divisions. Hot and humid weather expected elsewhere in the country.
WEATHER NEXT 48 HOURS: Isolated rain/thundershower likely in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Malakand, Hazara divisions and Kashmir. Hot and humid weather expected elsewhere in the country.
WEATHER PAST 24 HOURS: Isolated rain-thundershower occurred in Islamabad/ Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, D G Khan, Kallat divisions and Kashmir.
RAINFALL (MM) RECORDED AT 1700 PST DURING LAST 24 HOURS: Islamabad A/P 69, Khuzdar 50, Islamabad ZP 30, Gujranwala and Ziarat 14, Murree 13, Parachinar 7, Bahawalnagar 6, Chakwal and Faisalabad 4 (each), Astore and Sialkot cantt 3 (each), Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Barkhan and Kotli 1 (each), Lahore A/P, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan and Dalbandin, trace (each).
