Rains increased water by 11 percent: IRSA

By Khalid Mustafa

ISLAMABAD: Water shortage in the country has been reduced from 47 percent to 38 percent because of the recent countrywide rains, according to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA). The authority revised the shortage figure in its meeting on Friday.

According to an IRSA official, the meeting reviewed the water situation and decided to store 0.5 million acre feet (MAF) in the Tarbela reservoir. The official said the step was taken following a request by Sindh that water be stored for use in the early Kharif crop.

The official said 1.95 MAF of water had been saved in dams because of recent rains between January 21 and January 29. Water stored in the country increased by 2.94 MAF because of the rains and now stands at 23.09 MAF, he said.

Because of the improved water situation, Punjab would now receive 1.67 MAF more water than it had been allocated while Sindh would receive an additional 1.26 MAF, the official said.

IRSA expects a substantial increase in the flow of water into dams during March and April when temperatures rise, said the official. He said IRSA was fulfilling the water demands of every province.

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