The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has raised concerns about an impending water crisis in the canals this summer. The authority has pointed fingers at WAPDA, citing alleged incompetence, reduced snowfall, and widespread water theft as contributing factors. There are worries that the water deficit could reach up to 40 percent during the summer months.
According to sources briefed on the meeting, IRSA emphasized WAPDA’s failure to complete expansion projects on Tarbela Dam. Furthermore, the delay in the construction of the T-5 project is expected to withhold 85 thousand cusecs of water.
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IRSA’s sources also revealed that a significant 30,000 cusecs of water will remain undelivered due to the flawed design of the T4 project, adding to the overall shortfall. This brings the total expected unavailable water from Tarbela Dam to 115,000 cusecs.
Additionally, Punjab is anticipated to experience a shortage of 45,000 cusecs of water due to the reconstruction of Mangla Dam power units.
IRSA also highlighted ongoing water theft, estimated at 15 percent from canals, barrages, and rivers, which will exacerbate the water crisis. Moreover, in the current kharif season, an alarming ten million cusecs of water are expected to be lost to the sea. Furthermore, discrepancies in reported figures regarding water distribution among the provinces were revealed, further complicating the situation.
