A reduced flow from western rivers - Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, from India is forcing Pakistan to release more water than it receives, impacting both drinking supplies and irrigation.
Two major dams in Pakistan, Mangla on the Jhelum and Tarbela on the Indus, have reached 'dead levels' just a month after India suspended the 1960 water-sharing treaty following the Pahalgam terror attack.
The situation is expected to worsen in the coming weeks with the monsoon season, as India’s ongoing desilting and flushing of dams in Jammu & Kashmir to boost its own storage capacity will further reduce water flow to the neighboring country.
According to Pakistan’s Indus River System Authority (IRSA), the country has released 11,180 cusecs more water than it received, reports the Times of India. The total outflow from key rivers stood at 2,52,791 cusecs, while the inflow was only 2,41,611 cusecs.
The difference between the outflow and inflow will lead to further drop in water availability in Punjab and Sindh - which depend on waters from the western rivers of the Indus system.
In Pakistan's Punjab province, Kharif farming has started, has received 1,14,600 cusecs of water compared to 1,43,600 cusecs on the same day last year - a decline of 20%.
"This means further decrease in water flow from the Indian side may leave Pakistan with few options to facilitate farming operations before the arrival of the monsoon," said an official to the Toi.
At its meeting last month, Pakistan's IRSA advisory committee warned of a looming crisis, reporting an overall shortage of 21% for the early kharif season (May 1-June 10) and highlighting a "sudden decrease" in Chenab's inflows at Marala "due to short supply by India." The committee also anticipated shortages of 7% in the late kharif season (June 11-Sept 30).
India has put Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance over the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 and is not obligated to share data with Pakistan under the current circumstances.
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