Tarbela discharge increases from 8,000 to 30,000 cusecs, while Mangla releases around 15,000 cusecs
View of the Sukkur Dam, formerly known as Lloyd Dam, as floodwater passes, following monsoon rains and rising levels of the Indus River in Sukkur, Sindh province. Photo: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has increased water releases from major reservoirs in response to increased provincial demand, leading to a significant increase in hydropower generation and improved power supply conditions, according to official statements on Friday, according to a notification from IRSA.
According to ISRA, the release from Tarbela dam has increased from 8,000 to 30,000 cusecs, while Mangla dam is currently releasing around 15,000 cusecs.
Water allocations for the provinces have also been revised, with Sindh’s share increasing from 35,000 to 50,000 cusecs and Punjab’s from 33,000 to 43,000 cusecs. Further increases in water emissions are possible in the coming days.
Water released by IRSA
Increased water outflows are expected to support electricity generation, and hydroelectric production is expected to improve along with reduced demand due to improved weather conditions.
As a result, the country’s electricity deficit has been reduced to about 3,000 megawatts.
Hydroelectric generation has reached 3,400 megawatts, while thermal power plants produce around 8,000 megawatts. Solar energy provides 350 megawatts, nuclear power plants generate up to 2,880 megawatts, wind energy 1,300 megawatts and biogas 80 megawatts.
Total electricity generation amounts to 16,010 megawatts compared to a demand of 19,000 megawatts.
Load shedding has reportedly reduced to zero in some parts of Islamabad.
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Increased water releases from dams led to an increase in overnight hydroelectric power generation. A total of 30,000 cusecs of water was released from the dams last night, up from 8,000 cusecs on the night of April 15 and 16, a power division spokesperson said.
Due to increased water outflows, hydroelectric power generation increased by 2,300 megawatts. Previously, hydroelectric generation was 1,800 megawatts, which increased to 4,100 megawatts following increased water emissions. The rise in hydropower also helped facilitate the transfer of 400 megawatts from the southern region, as better generation reduced stability issues in the core grid, he added.
The spokesperson said the increased demand for water from the agricultural sector may further boost hydropower generation. Load management duration decreased from six hours to between 2.5 and 3 hours last night.
They added that timely availability of LNG and increased hydropower generation would help solve the problem of temporary load management, he added.
Yesterday, the Minister of Energy, Awais Leghari acknowledged pressure on the system, saying the country was facing a deficit of more than 3,400 MW due to reduced hydroelectric power generation and limitations on the supply of imported fuel.
It attributed the pressure to fluctuating demand amid changing weather conditions, lower water releases for irrigation and the impact of regional tensions on LNG shipments, which reduced output from gas-fired plants. The situation may improve with increased water inflows and improved fuel availability, but the persistence of outages suggests that structural challenges continue to undermine supply stability.
