Latest news with #MuhammadShabir
India.com
06-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Rattled Pakistan claims 90% drop in water supply, blames India for blocking Chenab River flow, says agriculture..., warns of...
India Pakistan tension: Amid the rising tension between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, Pakistan has claimed that India has stopped the Chenab River water flow from entering Pakistan. The spokesperson for Pakistan's Indus River System Authority, Muhammad Khalid Idrees Rana, said that since Sunday, May 4 morning, about 90% less water than usual has been flowing into Pakistan and if the water flow stays this low, Pakistan may have to cut water supplies to its farms by 20%., reports Bloomberg. Due to the blockade, the water level in the Chenab River in Jammu's Akhnoor area has dropped to a very low level which is drawing villagers in large numbers and many were looking for gold, silver jewellery, and coins, reported ANI. Officials said the water level fell because the flow of the river was restricted by closing all gates of the Baglihar and Salal dams to refill the reservoirs. The Jammu and Kashmir Police warned people on Monday, May 5, not to walk across the Chenab River in Jammu's Akhnoor area as the water level in the Chenab River would rise soon and asked people to leave the area for their safety. 'The water level in the Chenab River is going to increase. Everyone is requested to come out of the river,' the police and local authorities said in an announcement. The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by India has rattled Pakistan. The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) advisory committee on Monday expressed alarm over a sharp drop in water flow from the Chenab River at Marala, caused by reduced supply from India. This drop could lead to a 21% water shortage in Pakistan during the early part of the Kharif cropping season, reported ANI. The report further said that the IRSA Advisory Committee met in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Sahibzada Muhammad Shabir to finalise the expected water availability for the remaining Kharif period, which runs from May to September 2025. Shabir is the Chairman of IRSA at IRSA HQS Islamabad. During the meeting, the committee reviewed the water situation for both the early Kharif period (May to June 10) and the late Kharif period (June 11 to September). The committee members jointly raised concern about the sudden fall in water flow from the Chenab River at Marala, warning that this could lead to severe shortages in the early Kharif season. IRSA warned that if the current situation continues, there could be a 21% water shortage during the rest of the early Kharif period. The water situation will be monitored daily, and the shortage estimate may be updated if the flow from the Chenab continues to drop. For the late Kharif period, the expected shortage is around 7%. (With ANI inputs)
Express Tribune
26-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Kharif set to begin with 43% water shortage
A subsidy for the Rabi package amounting to Rs5.4 billion was already approved and a subsidy of Rs10.22 billion on fertilisers was proposed for the Kharif season 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Wednesday projected 43% water shortage for April, as it recorded less than normal inflows into the rim-station rivers, following a 31% less snowfall in the catchment areas of Indus and Jhelum this winter. The Irsa Advisory Committee (IAC) met on Wednesday to discuss the water availability situation for the Kharif 2025 season. However, because of unclear climactical parameters and weather outlook for the summer, it approved water availability for the month of April only, with 43% system shortfall. The IAC meeting was held, with Irsa Chairman and Member Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Sahibzada Muhammad Shabir in the chair. According to a handout issued after the meeting, the IAC would meet again in the first week of May 2025 to review the water availability. The meeting was expected to approve the anticipated water availability criteria for the whole of Kharif season (April 1-Sepember 30). It also reviewed the Rabi 2024-25 (October 1-March 31) system operations and showed satisfaction with the season's close at 18% shortage against an anticipated 16%. The meeting was attended by all IRSA members, relevant engineers, secretaries concerned, senior officials of the provincial irrigation departments, senior technical advisers of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), and others. During the meeting, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) highlighted that according to the local and global climate models for the months of April, May and June, below normal rainfall and above normal temperatures especially across northern and southern tips of the country were forecast. The PMD further noted that winter snowfall in the catchments of Indus and Jhelum was recorded at 26.8 inches against the normal of 49.7 inches, ie, 31% less while the inflows into the rim-station rivers would also be less than normal. After detailed discussion, the IAC approved the water availability only for the month of April 2025 with 43% system shortfall, the handout stated. The water situation will be reviewed again in the first week of May 2025, it added. Separately, PMD Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Afzal said that the country was facing an unusual weather pattern, leading to severe drought conditions, warning that an alarming decline in winter rainfall pushed dams and water reservoirs to dead levels. Speaking at a press conference, Afzal said that winter rainfall was 42% below normal, with Sindh receiving 63% less rain, Balochistan 53%, and Punjab 41%. He added that falling water levels in dams and other reservoirs raised concerns over water availability for agriculture and domestic use. Afzal cautioned that below-normal rainfall was expected in the northern regions, exacerbating the water crisis. The shortage could lead to crop failures, spread of diseases, 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 indicating that temperatures may rise by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius above normal levels. This will increase the likelihood of heatwaves, especially in the southern half of the country," he said. (WITH INPUTS FROM APP)
