As the Rabi crops are at a critical stage of their growth and maturity in the middle of February, the Indus River System Authority has increased water releases from the dams and rivers to the level of 95,000 cusecs to meet water indents of the four provinces.
Punjab Irrigation engineers told Business Recorder here on Friday that the water regulatory body is discharging 48,000 cusecs downstream the Tarbela dam, 28,300 cusecs off Mangla dam, 11,400 cusecs run of the River Kabul and 8,200 cusecs from Chenab River. They said that due to late winter rains in February, IRSA has downgraded the water shortage for Rabi crops 2013-14 from 15 percent to 7 percent. They said that Punjab is drawing about 40,000 cusecs from the Mangla zone and 15,000 cusecs from the Indus zone.
WEATHER FORECAST A shallow westerly wave is affecting upper parts of the country and likely to persist during next 24 hours. Scattered thunderstorm/rain with snowfall over the hills is likely to occur over Gilgit-Baltistan & Kashmir. Also, isolated thunderstorm/rain with snowfall over the hills may occur over Malakand, Hazara, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sahiwal divisions, Islamabad and FATA.
Further, thunderstorm/rain with snowfall over the hills would occur at one or two places of Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Quetta, Zhob, D.G. Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur, D.I. Khan, Kohat, Peshawar, Mardan and Sargodha divisions.
WEATHER NEXT 48 HOURS Mainly cold and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country. However, light rain (snow over the hills) is expected at one or two places in Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
