Pakistan Faces Alarming Water Shortage Threatening Wheat Harvest

Irsa has warned Punjab and Sindh of a severe water shortage as Tarbela and Mangla dams near dead levels. With wheat crops at risk, urgent measures are needed. The dams' inflow is insufficient for current outflow rates, potentially depleting resources soon. Upcoming rain offers some hope for relief.

The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has issued a stark warning regarding a significant water shortage in Pakistan's Punjab and Sindh provinces. With the Tarbela and Mangla dams nearing their dead levels, the depletion is poised to impact the wheat harvest critically, according to a report by Dawn.

Irsa's Director of Regulation, Khalid Idrees Rana, has informed provincial irrigation authorities that both major reservoirs are approaching depletion, with the Tarbela Dam holding only 73,000 acre-feet of water and operating just above its dead level at 1,409 feet. The Mangla Dam, meanwhile, stands 1,088 feet high with a live storage of 235,000 acre-feet, also dangerously close to its threshold.

Irsa has communicated its concerns that the reservoirs could reach dead levels within days, exacerbating the already precarious situation for this season's wheat crop, which faces further challenges from unexpected policy shifts. Although regular seasonal shortages occur, the current timing is particularly detrimental. There is hope that upcoming rain could mitigate the situation, and authorities are urged to take immediate precautionary measures.

(With inputs from agencies.)