Canals closure to start from Dec 26 for de-silting: IRSA

ISLAMABAD, Dec 18 (APP):The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has decided to close down canals for annual maintenance and de-silting between December 26, 2018 to January 30, 2019.

Director Operation IRSA, Khalid Idrees Rana told APP here Tuesday that the Mangla command canals would be closed from Dec 26 till January 13 in stage wise, and Tarbela command canals would remain closed from January 13-17, 2019.
Under the canal closure programme, he said Punjab’s lower Jhelum and Rasul Qadirabad Link would remain closed from Dec 26 to Jan 12 while Qadirabad Baloki Link from Dec 27 to Jan 13, central Bari Doab canals from Dec 27 to Jan 13 and Lower Bari Doab, Baloki, Sulemanki Link from Dec 29 to Jan
15.
Similarly, Upper Pakpattan canal, and Eastern Siddiqia canal would remain closed from Dec 30 to Jan 16, while Upper Jhelum canal from Jan 12 to 29 and Lower Chenab canal (except Jhang branch), Upper Bahwal canal from Jan 13 to 30.
Jhang Branch canal to close from Dec 27 to Jan 13, while Upper Bahawal would remain close from January 13 to 30.
He said likewise, Tarbela command canals would remain closed during Rabi season 2018/19. As per programme, Thal and Lower Bahawal canals would be closed from January 13 to 30, 2019, while Trimmu canal and Trimmu Sidhnai will remain closed from Jan 10 to Jan 27, while SMB Link canal and Sidhnai canal from Jan 11 to Jan 28, Lower Pakpattan canal from Jan 12 to Jan 29, and Lower Bahawal from Jan 13 to Jan 30.
Sindh’s Kotri barrage would remain closed from Dec 26 to Jan 10, 2019 and Sukkur barrage from Jan 6 to Jan 20.
According to the water discharge plan, the authority would release 10,000 to 12,000 cusecs of water from Tarbela Dam and 8,000 cusecs from Mangla Dam to meet drinking water requirements, he added
Meanwhile, IRSA on Tuesday released 55,800 cusecs water from various rim stations with inflow of 37,900 cusecs.
According to the data released by IRSA, water level in the Indus River at Tarbela Dam was 1,417.43 feet, which was 31.43 feet higher than its dead level of 1,386 feet. Water inflow in the dam was recorded as 18,200 cusecs and outflow as 23,000 cusecs.
The water level in the Jhelum River at Mangla Dam was 1,115.85 feet, which was 75.85 feet higher than its dead level of 1,040 feet whereas the inflow and outflow of water was recorded as 7,900 cusecs and 21,000 cusecs respectively.
The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa and Sukkur was recorded as 44,900 cusecs, 27,900 cusecs and 600 cusecs respectively.
Similarly from the Kabul River, 4,700 cusecs of water was released at Nowshera and 3,000 cusecs from the Chenab River at Marala.