Dry spell to increase water shortage
The Nation, By Munawar Hasan
11/29/2002

LAHORE—Water shortage is likely to increase up to 40 per cent in December amid continuous dry spell in the country, predicted experts here on Thursday.
“Water inflow has been decreased significantly at Indus, Jehlum and Kabul rivers, even less than the expected average flows,” said an official of the Punjab Irrigation Department. He said average inflow at river Jehlum at Mangla decreased to as low as 4,000 cusecs per day which should be 6,000 cusecs, as anticipated at the start of the current Rabi season.
Same is the case with Indus River and the Kabul River. Inflow of both rivers have been decreased to 19,800 cusecs and 5,000 cusecs on Thursday (November 28) respectively.
According to the expert, there are currently 34 per cent water shortage in the river flows as compared to historic uses. Indus River System Authority (IRSA), initially predicted 36 per cent water shortage during the Rabi season-from October 1, 2002 to March 31, 2003.
One of the most irritating factors for the irrigation experts is the continuous dry spell in the country. They said that incessant dry conditions and lack of rainfall have raised the fear of greater water shortfall within the next couple of months.
“Rainfall supplements the irrigation requirement of the Rabi crops,” said an official of the Met Office. He said there was no rain in the country during the past at least one month. To a question, he said that keeping in view the pattern of the dry spell, there is least chance of rains next month.
Agriculture experts termed the shortage of water at this stage as a catastrophe for the sowing of wheat crop. They were of the view that sowing of the crop has been affected in certain areas where timely canal water could not be provided. The experts, however, expressed their satisfaction over the rain in the barani and Southern parts of the province last month.
Talking to this scribe, an official of the provincial Irrigation Department said that water shortage in river flow has been spread to all the canal network in order to share it judiciously. He said that the department was trying to mitigate the adverse affects of the water shortage through canal regulation plan. The meeting finalised a plan to release canal water to each district in the province keeping in view the water shortage in the country.

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