Prevailing Meteorological Conditions To Create Water Shortage For Rabi Crops

The prevailing meteorological conditions are not conducive enough to fill Mangla Dam up to its Maximum Conservation Level (MCL) by the close of 2018-Monsoon season which would create water shortage during Rabi sowing season.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Sep, 2018 ) :The prevailing meteorological conditions are not conducive enough to fill Mangla Dam up to its Maximum Conservation Level (MCL) by the close of 2018-Monsoon season which would create water shortage during Rabi sowing season.

Talking to APP here Friday, Chairman Federal Flood Commission (FFC) Ahmad Kamal said the summer monsoon weather system will gradually diminish during the first fortnight of September and rains will be scanty. He informed that in the light of FFC daily flood situation report, the amount of rainfall is expected to remain slightly below normal in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Central and Lower Punjab and Sindh Province.

He said moderate to severe drought like conditions are expected in Lower Balochistan and District Tharparkar of Sindh Province while mountainous region of Gilgit Baltistan and Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may receive normal precipitation during the period. However, snowfall season is likely to start at higher elevation by the end of October, he told. Due to gradual fall in temperature, snow and glacier melt contribution to the Indus River will be minimal during the period", he added.

Ahmad Kamal said below the normal rain falls during current Monsoon season were also one of the main reasons to create water shortage for crop sowing during coming Rabi season, besides creating other environmental hazards affecting the general health. The depressed monsoon season has resulted into poor accumulation of water in the mega water reservoirs of the country, which is posing serious threats for the cultivation of major and minor crops to fulfill the domestic requirements as well as to exports, he expressed.

Commenting on the situation emerged due to low intensity of Monsoon rains, the Chairman FFC said less rainfall as compared to the last seasons were received during the outgoing rainy season. He said that not only the intensity of the monsoon rainfall was down, there were no rapid showers took place at the upper catchments of the major rivers in the country, which were the main source of water level building in mega storage.

However, he said that Punjab was the main food producing province of the country and produced all major crops including cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane and maize. It also produces other minor crops including oil seeds and pulses.

He said that fortunately, the Tarbela Dam has attained water level up to its maximum capacity of 1,550 feet while the condition at Mangla reservoir was pathetic which is presently 64.15 feet below its MCL of 1242 feet. He said currently, the inflow of water at Mangla dam is 13,000 cusecs and outflow 9,000 cusecs which leaves only 4,000 cusecs of water remaining in the reservoir.

To a question, he said if for suppose 300,000 cusecs of water flows into the reservoir of Mangla then a reasonable amount of water securing Rabi crops can be stored, hence the lurking water shortage in the coming crop season could be avoided.

Commenting on the massive water accumulation in Tarbela Dam, he informed that 80 percent water comes from the snow melting in the glaciers and catchments areas. Tarbela has tumultuous temperature in the region as temperature rise resulted into the significant water increase in the reservoir, he added. The snowfall has decreased by 35 per cent whereas it has also affected the snow melting process and it would show its implications with the passage of time.

Answering another question, he said River Jhelum and Mangla has very less likelihood to mitigate the risk, adding River Chenab is also facing crisis due to reduced inflow of water from across the border. River Chenab's basic requirement is 50,000 cusecs water while India has released only 8,000 cusecs water which would definitely impact the agriculture sector, he maintained.

The FFC Chairman stressed the need for taking immediate measures to enhance the water storage capacity of the country to avoid water shortages and urged the need for taking on board the FFC as a major stakeholder in the matter related to water.