Kharif crops may face 35% water shortage in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Kharif crops are facing a 35% water shortage in Pakistan.

According to the published report, Pakistan may face a 30–35% water shortage during the upcoming Kharif crop season, starting from today (April 1). This could adversely affect important cash crops like cotton and rekindle inter-provincial conflicts over water sharing.

A clear picture of water availability for the season is expected to emerge on April 2, subject to the Indus River System Authority’s (IRSA) advisory, according to snow storage estimates by the WAPDA and PMD.

The committee should be able to resolve very difficult questions based on significant input from the Water and Power Development Authority.

Meanwhile, WAPDA said the Neelum Jhelum Hydroelectric Project has achieved its maximum production capacity of 969 MW after inspection of the Tail Race Tunnel (TRT), which was blocked earlier.

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The meeting of the advisory committee will be chaired by Abdul Hameed Mengal, chairman of IRSA from Balochistan, and other four members of IRSA, secretaries of the provincial irrigation and agriculture department, members of WAPDA for water and power, the head of PMD, the Federal Flood Commission, and other participants.

Climate change conditions that result in sudden downpours or long-term droughts make water forecasting more difficult.