The Tarbela Dam water level has become the center of a dispute between the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) and Wapda. On Tuesday, Irsa rejected Wapda’s request to release nearly half of Tarbela’s stored water within a month. The regulator also refused to extend deadlines for two delayed tunnels, calling the proposal risky and unnecessary.
At the Irsa Advisory Committee meeting, chaired by Sahibzada Muhammad Shabbir, officials expressed concern over Wapda’s long delays in completing Tunnel 5 and the Tunnel 4 Low Level Outlet. Wapda sought to lower the reservoir level from 1,550 feet to 1,495 feet by November 10, but Irsa warned that doing so would waste 2.8 million acre-feet of water when irrigation demand is low. Members said this could threaten the upcoming Rabi crop season.
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Irsa members from Sindh and Punjab opposed Wapda’s proposal, saying Pakistan’s farmers should not suffer because of missed deadlines. They argued that the Tarbela Dam water level should remain high to ensure strong carryover storage for the Kharif 2026 season. Some even suggested abandoning the delayed tunnel projects altogether due to poor performance.
The committee noted that Pakistan is entering the Rabi season with reservoirs nearly full — a rare achievement. Current storage stands at 13.214 million acre-feet, or 99 percent of total capacity. For Rabi 2025-26, Irsa approved 33.814 MAF of provincial withdrawals, marking the lowest shortage in 33 years. Punjab and Sindh will receive significantly higher shares this season compared to the previous year.
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Irsa said it will continue monitoring the Tarbela Dam water level and review the situation again in December. The authority emphasized that conserving water now will ensure better irrigation supply and protect Pakistan’s agriculture in the coming months.