|
Punjab to experience
22pc water shortage
LAHORE-The Punjab will suffer an overall 22 per cent water
shortage during the six-month Kharif season, with water
scarcity touching a whopping 44 per cent during the first
three (cotton-sowing) months - April, May and up to June 10.
According to the estimates prepared by the Technical Committee
of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), the shortage for
Punjab will drop to 11 per cent for late Kharif - June 11 to
Sept 30 - taking the overall shortage down to 22 per cent for
the six-month season. These estimates went into operation from
Monday as the Rabi water distribution arrangements expired on
Sunday, but they are still open to minor adjustments when
Advisory Committee of the Irsa meets on April 9.
During the early Kharif, the Punjab will get only 6.53 million
acre feet water against its requirement of 11.61 MAF at the
rate of 44 per cent shortage.
During the late Kharif, it will be getting 20.49 MAF against
its total requirement of 23.03 MAF - a shortage of 11 per
cent. The overall water supply during the season will be 27.02
MAF against a requirement of 34.65 MAF. Out of the 6.53 MAF
during the early Kharif, 3.63 MAF will be contributed by the
Mangla Command and 2.9 MAF by the Tarbela Command. Out of a
total of 20.49 MAF for the late Kharif, Mangla Command will
provide 12.05 MAF and Tarbela 8.44 MAF.
The Punjab also opened all its canals on Monday. It was still
drawing 20,000 cusics from Mangla Command against the inflow
of 32,600 cusics. About this high outflow, a spokesman for the
Punjab Irrigation Department said that high water flows were
required in the beginning of water supplies. All canals in the
province were closed for 15 days; they would need water for
seepage and other system filling before they get stabilized.
The Punjab would continue drawing high supplies from the
Mangla Command for the next few days and before reassessing
the canal requirements next week.
About the Cheshma-Jehlum Link canal still being closed, he
said that now Punjab has to manage its own water share.
Because water is still flowing down Trimmu barrage which was
released four days ago from Rasool headworks, there is no need
yet to open the CJ canal. Once these supplies recede, the CJ
Link canal will be opened for supplies.
About the filling of the Mangla dam, the spokesman said that
the Irsa decided to fill the dam to its capacity of 1202 feet.
The WAPDA authorities, as they did last year, committed to
take the lake further to 1212 feet. Only time would tell if
the lake touches 1212 feet level, but the Punjab Irrigation
Department was fully committed to 1202 feet. Only any defence
requirements could disturb these calculations, he claimed.
Fortunately, Sindh agreed to distribution of water according
to historic uses without creating much of a fuss. This means,
he claimed, six months of relative national calm as far as
water sharing was concerned.
courtesy Daily Dawn, 1
April, 2002
|
Pakissan.com;
|
