Islamabad:
The Indo River System Authority (IRSA) on Wednesday projected 43% of the water scarcity for April, since it registered inputs less than normal in the river station rivers, after a snowy of 31% less in the areas of capture of Indo and Jhelum this winter.
The IRSA Advisory Committee (IAC) met Wednesday to discuss the water availability situation for the Kharif 2025 season. However, due to the unclear climatic parameters and the meteorological perspective for the summer, it approved the availability of water only for the month of April, with a 43%system deficit.
The IAC meeting was held, with the president of IRSA and member Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) sahibiated Muhammad Shabir in the chair. According to a brochure issued after the meeting, the IAC would meet again in the first week of May 2025 to review water availability.
The meeting was expected to approve the anticipated water availability criteria for the entire Kharif season (from April 1 to September 30). He also reviewed the operations of the Rabi 2024-25 system (of October 1, March 31) and showed satisfaction with the closure of the 18% scarcity season against an anticipated 16%.
The meeting was attended by all the members of the IRSA, relevant engineers, interested secretaries, senior officials of the provincial irrigation departments, senior technical advisors of the Water and Energy Development Authority (WAPDA) and others.
During the meeting, the Department of Meteorology of Pakistan (PMD) stressed that according to local and global climatic models for the months of April, May and June, below normal rainfall and above normal temperatures, especially in the north and south tips of the country.
The PMD also pointed out that the winter snowfall in the Indo and Jhelum basins were recorded at 26.8 inches against the normality of 49.7 inches, that is, 31% less, while the entries in the rivers of the tire station would also be less than normal.
After a detailed discussion, the IAC approved the availability of water only for the month of April 2025 with a 43%system deficit, according to the brochure. The water situation will be reviewed again in the first week of May 2025, he added.
Separately, PMD’s chief meteorologist Muhammad Afzal said the country faced an unusual climate pattern, which led to severe drought conditions, warning that an alarming decrease in winter rains pushed dams and water tanks to dead levels.
Speaking at a press conference, AFZAL said the winter rain was 42% below normal, with Sindh receiving 63% less rain, Baluchistan 53% and Punjab 41%. He added that the fall in water levels in dams and other deposits expressed concerns about the availability of water for agriculture and domestic use.
AFZAL warned that rainfall was expected below normal in the northern regions, exacerbating the water crisis. Scarcity could lead to crop failures, disease spread and a negative impact on wildlife. He urged the public to use water wisely to mitigate the crisis.
“Pakistan is expected to face significant temperature increases in the coming months, with forecasts that indicate that temperatures can increase from 3 to 5 degrees Celsius above normal levels. This will increase the probability of heat waves, especially in the southern half of the country,” he said. (With application tickets)
