Daily Times

Low rainfall has aggravated water crisis in the country as Tarbela Dam reaches its dead level, according to a spokesman for the Indus River System Authority (IRSA)

There is no water left in the dam as of now, the spokesperson added.

July and August are always months of peak inflows in the dam situated on the main stem of the Indus River, however, owing to low rainfall the water level in the dam has depleted to dangerous levels.

The water storage level at the dam is 1,550 feet while its dead level is 1,386 feet, the IRSA spokesperson said, adding that the flow and discharge of water from Tarbela Dam is roughly equal.

“Inflow of River Indus at Tarbela was 115,000 cusecs of water and outflows were 123,000 cusecs,” he said.

Speaking about other water reservoirs in the country such as Mangla Dam, the spokesperson said, “The water storage level in the dam is 1,122 feet against its dead level of 1,050 feet.”

The spokesperson futher said, “The water level in Chashma Barrage is currently at 644 feet.” “The water storage capacity of Chashma Barrage is 181,000 acre-feet and inflow is 187,900 cusecs of water,” the ISRA spokesperson said adding that the outflow of water is 190,000 cusecs of water.

Reports by United Nations Development Programme as well as the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources have alerted that the country will reach absolute water scarcity by the year 2025.

Keeping in consideration the water crisis in the country, the Supreme Court had ordered immediate construction of Bhasha Dam and Mohmand Dam, with the top judge donating Rs 10 million for the construction of water reservoirs.

Published in Daily Times, July 9^th 2018.