Water scarcity: Country's biggest reservoir almost at dead level

• "Reservoir will come on run of river anytime," warns Irsa spox.
• Inflow in Tarbela stand at 13,800 cusecs; outflow at 20,000 cusecs.
• PMD forecasts increase in water flows post due to melting ice.
  

ISLAMABAD: The country's biggest reservoir, Tarbela Dam, has almost reached the dead level of 1,402 feet signalling more increase in water shortage of up to 41% at rim stations and a 50-55% shortage at canal heads, The News reported on Thursday.

The situation at Mangla Dam is not different as the water level has also reached 1,054ft, which is just 4 feet above the dead level of 1,050ft.

The inflows in Mangla stood at 23,236 cusecs whereas outflows stood at 20,351 cusecs. However, Irsa has been asked by Wapda to start storing the water in Mangla because if it reaches the dead level, then silt will come to the power turbines.

The depleted water reserves come as the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has warned about emerging drought conditions in 13 districts of Sindh, including Karachi and Hyderabad.

As per official correspondence, Sindh province is facing an alarming water crisis as the country’s reservoirs approach exhaustion due to exceptionally low rainfall during the current Rabi season.

The situation is particularly dire for Sindh, where water shortages may exceed 50% during the remaining weeks of March and the early Kharif season if current inflow trends persist.

The PDMA had already issued a warning on January 25, 2025, highlighting emerging drought conditions in several districts of Sindh.

Meanwhile, the Indus River in the reach of the low riparian province Sindh has also dried up.

"We have decided to store 3,000 cusecs per day of water inflows in Mangla taking its level up to 1,070 feet to ensure the protection of power turbines from the silt," an Indus River System Authority (Irsa) spokesman told the publication.

"As per the data of water flows in Tarbela, the water level has reached 1,402.09ft against the dead level of 1,402ft. The reservoir will come on the run of the river anytime.".

The water inflows in Tarbela stood at 13,800 cusecs whereas outflows remained at 20,000 cusecs per day.

Punjab is getting 35,000 cusecs whereas Sindh is being provided 22,300 cusecs with 41% water shortage in the ongoing Rabi season.

Earlier, it was told that 35% water shortage had been calculated. However, the Irsa spokesman says that in case the situation does not improve after 10th April 2025, then Kharif crops will land in the danger zone.

The early cotton sowing would face a huge water shortage and sugarcane crops would also experience loss in production.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted that after April 10, water flows would increase as temperatures in the catchment areas of the Indus River would increase by 5-7 degrees which will help melt ice in the low-lying areas in the catchment of the Indus River, Gilgit-Baltistan and in Kashmir also.

In case of an improvement of water flows in the Indus Basin system, then the water shortage would hover in the Kharif season at 20-25%.

However, total water storage in the country has tumbled to the meagre level of 0.086 million acres feet (MAF). Total inflows in the system stood at 64,600 cusecs whereas outflows remained at 63,500 cusecs.