Irsa to make only drinking water available amid acute shortage

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Wednesday decided to make only drinking supplies for one month, April, and then review the situation.

The authority’s official told la ocal publication that water storage has dropped to a dead level in dams, river flows have plunged, and fewer snow deposits on mountains are not promising improved flows.

The meeting noted that because of no storage in any of the three storages, water discharges at rim-stations stood at 51pc shortfall and went beyond 60pc while reaching provincial canal heads.

The shortfall resulted in the water regulator shifting to a month-by-month water discharge, although it used to allocate water in three phases during a season.

The Irsa Advisory Committee approved the water availability only for April with 43pc system shortfall, with the situation to again be reviewed in the first week of May.

The official statement added that the decision was taken following the unclear climatic parameters and keeping in view the summer 2025 weather outlook presented by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

The IAC meeting, which was presided over by Irsa chairman and member from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sahibzada Mohammad Shabbir, was held to approve the Kharif anticipated water availability criteria from April 1 to Sept 30.

All Irsa members, chief engineering adviser, provincial irrigation secretaries and senior officials attended the meeting.

The Kharif cropping season starts in April and lasts until September. Rice, sugarcane, cotton, maize, and mash are some of the key crops of the season.