• The reservoir holds more than 13.1MAF of water, 99% or peak capacity
•Tarbela reaches full protection level or 1,550 feet; Mungera is almost full
•Chashma Barrage also reached a record storage level of 649 feet; officials expect the lowest water shortage during the rabbi season. Wheat benefits the most
Islamabad: After years, Pakistan will begin the upcoming rabies season with healthy carry-over water volumes over 13 million acres (MAF), which may partially offset agricultural output Loose Depend on flood In the Kharif season that is about to leave.
“We expect water conditions in the rabbi season will be normal,” one official said. He added that any shortage will be minimal, tolerant and manageable. He noted that after years, we also hope to be able to carry forward rationally in the next Kharif season.
Although the Tarbera Dam reached a peak protection level of 1,550 feet last month, the highest protection level at the Mangra Dam was 1.239.6 feet, or the maximum protection level, or 1.242 feet, as the speed of the Jerime River flowing is still very low.
As a result, Mungera’s storage was reportedly 7.1MAF on Sunday night, while its maximum storage capacity was 7.277MAF. However, officials were hopeful about the ability to turn the Mangra dam, as only 18,800 Kuseks had a slow inflow and therefore the protection was very slow. Almost half (about 9,000 Cuseecs) were released to the Upper Gillem Canal to meet drinking water needs. Mangla will need another 100,000 Cuseecs to get maximum protection, which seems unlikely for the remaining nine days of the season.
Mangla’s peak at the end of Kharif’s 2023 end reached 1,233.25 feet, with a warehouse reaching 1,224 feet in 2024. This means the country’s largest reservoir last year could not exceed 5.9maf, and this year it has surpassed 7.1maf.
On the other hand, the Talbera Dam reached 1.548 feet in 2023, compared to 1.549 feet in 2024, compared to 1,550 feet this year. Chasma Barrage also peaked at 649 feet this year, compared with 645 feet last year in 2023.
Therefore, the total storage has exceeded 13.1MAF, almost 99% of the peak capacity of 13.3maf. Last year, the storage space hit 11.388maf. Currently, all rivers flow at normal levels, except for moderate flooding at Kotri Barrage and Ganda Singhwala in the Sutlej River.
Given that there is still a reasonable amount of water in the post-flood irrigation system, the Indus River Systems Administration (IRSA) has not arranged a meeting of its technical and advisory committees, as provinces have not yet sought to seek fresh water distribution.
Typically, both committees equalized the provinces indented in the first 10 days of the rabbi in the last week of September.
However, officials warned that heavy sand was reportedly reported in farmlands due to prolonged flooding on the Punjab plains – unlike the usually fertile sediment that accompanied the flood. It is too early to predict the condition of agricultural land until these areas are cleared into water.
Once the flood exits, the meeting or the IRSA’s technical and advisory committee will be called. Sindh province is usually a rabies crop contract, but this year is not the case as it is still dealing with flood conditions, an official said.
Since the start of the Kharif season on April 1, about 24MAF of water has flowed into the sea, almost the integrated storage capacity of the two major reservoirs – Tarbela and Mangla.
According to the 1991 water distribution agreement, the total water demand for rabies crops is about 37-38maf, Karif’s carryover, and over the next six months, water can be used, close to 35-36maf. The 1991 water agreement gave IRSA the determination of water supply to the country and allocated twice a year for Kharif and Rabbi seasons. The rabbi season takes place from October 1 to March 31, and wheat is the largest crop. Other rabies crops include grams, lentils, tobacco, rapeseed, barley and mustard.
Posted at Dawn on September 22, 2025
