Water Storage status in the country reservoirs

[ghazi52]

ISLAMABAD - With increased inflow in River Indus water position in Tarbela Dam has improved and is likely to reach its peak level of 1550 Feet by Monday.

"Last year Tarbela has achieved its peak level on August 16 however this year it is likely to achieve its peak level by 20th August," official source told The Nation here Friday. The current live storage of Tarbela is 5.775 MAF.

However, Mangla Dam is unlikely achieve its peak level this year due to low flows in Jhelum and Chenab rivers during the season, said the official. Mangla is far from peak level as the current live storage in Mangla is 2.578 MAF against the total capacity of 7.4 MAF.

Last year during the same period the total storage in the country reservoirs was 13.2 MAF which is 8.529 MAF, he said. Adding that the deficiency is mainly because of Mangla.

The position of the river inflows and outflows at Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma along with the reservoirs levels and the barrages Friday is as under:

The total inflows in rivers on Friday were 359600 cusecs while the out flows were outflows were 279600 cusecs.

Last year during the same period inflows were 420000 cusecs.

Inflows in river Indus at Tarbela were 214800 cusecs and outflows 157100 cusecs, Kabul at Nowshera inflows 43400 cusecs and outflows 43400 cusecs, inflow in Jhelum at Mangla 32300 cusecs and outflows 10000 cusecs, inflows in Chenab at Marala were 69100 cusecs and outflows 42600 cusecs.

Inflow in Jinnah Barrage were 237800 cusecs and outflows 229800 cusecs, Chashma: inflows 264700 cusecs and outflows 180000 cusecs, Taunsa inflows 287200 cusecs and outflows 266100 cusecs, Panjnad inflows 31700 cusecs and outflows 16900 cusecs Guddu inflows 238800 cusecs and outflows 208300 cusecs, Sukkur: inflows 150500 cusecs and outflows 94800, Kotri inflows 51600 cusecs and outflows 9800 cusecs.

Tarbela against the minimum operating level of 1386 feet is presently at 1545.23 feet. The maximum conservation level of Tarbela is 1550 feet while the live storage of the dam is 5.775 million acre feet (MAF).

Mangla against the minimum operating level of 1050 feet is presently at 1168.20 feet. The maximum conservation level of Mangla is 1242 feet while the live storage is 2.578 MAF.

Chashma against the minimum operating level of 638.15 feet is presently at 646.70 feet. The maximum conservation level of the dam is 649 feet while live storage is 0.176 MAF.

 

[ghazi52]

Five myths about water in Pakistan

BY WILLIAM YOUNG

Persistent myths, which can misguide policy, are barriers to improving water security for the people of Pakistan. Here are five:

First, this problem of water security is often presented as one of water scarcity. But Pakistan is a water-rich country – only 35 countries have more renewable water. It is true that measured for each person, Pakistan is approaching a widely recognized scarcity level of 1000 cubic meters each year. But there are 32 countries that have less water for each person and most of these countries are much wealthier and use less water for each person. Pakistan needs to shift its focus from scarcity to managing water demand and producing more from each drop of water. It needs to make water allocation more efficient and fair, and offer incentives that reflect how scarce water is to encourage wise use.

Second, Pakistan worries about a lack of reservoir storage. Common but misleading measures cited are “storage volume per person” and storage in terms of “average days of water demand”, typically compared to other countries, while ignoring differences in flow variability. Storage is used to buffer the variability of flows to match the time varying pattern of demand. In the Indus flows do not vary greatly between years, partly because of the significant storage the glaciers represent – an asset most countries lack. Thus, Pakistan has little need for reservoir storage from one year to the next. Rather, it needs storage to even out within year variations associated with the monsoon. However, unlike many countries, in Pakistan the timing of flows is not vastly different to the timing of demand, although some storage is needed to capture the monsoon peak and release this water later in the Kharif season and in the early Rabi season. Additional storage would certainly yield additional useable water, but any increase in water use will inevitably reduce the flow to the sea, which is already at an environmentally unsustainable low level. Given Pakistan’s low economic productivity of water in irrigation and rapid rates of reservoir sedimentation, it is hard to justify the costs of major new storages. Hydropower generation does justify new dams, but these could be run-of-the-river facilities (not storage), with lower social and environmental impacts.

Third, there is concern over the loss of the Indus basin glaciers. Upper Indus flows are strongly dependent on snow melt (22 percent) and glacial melt (41 percent). Climate change appears to be affecting rainfall, snowfall and glacier melt but in complex ways with no clear trends. No significant changes in river flows are projected before 2050. Under different climate change scenarios average flows either increase slightly or decrease slightly. Glacial melt is expected to increase, but be offset by snowmelt reductions. A 20-28 percent reduction in ice volume is projected, mostly at lower elevations. The Indus has a greater share of glacial ice at higher elevation than other Himalayan basins, and although faster rates of warming are expected higher up, the absolute temperatures projected would not be enough to drive rapid melting there.

Fourth, irrigation is commonly believed to be highly inefficient in the Indus leading to a common belief that much water could be “saved” by capturing “losses”. At the basin-scale irrigation is estimated to be more than 80 percent efficient, with only a relatively small proportion of irrigation water lost through evaporation and non-productive plant use. The big “losses” are drainage returns to the river and seepage to groundwater, both of which are then used through diversion downstream or through groundwater pumping. Indeed, it is canal seepage and percolation to groundwater that supports the high and increasing levels of groundwater use in the basin. The problems in irrigation are more to do with inefficient and unfair distribution of the water, and low productivity in terms of the yield and value of crops a unit of water used.

Fifth, the flows to the sea are commonly seen as wastage. Average flow to the sea has been falling for more than 80 years. Firstly, the eastern rivers were diverted to India and then storages were constructed in Pakistan. Average annual flow to the sea has been reduced by more than 80 percent. There is strong evidence that declining flows (as well as pollution, reduction in sediment loads and fragmentation of the river by multiple barrages) is contributing to the declining health of the lower river and delta and underminging the valuable services these ecosystems provide including fisheries and coasal protection. The economic value of these ecosystem services has not been properly assessed.

The Indus basin is most likely over-developed from an environmental sustainability perspective in terms of volumes of water diverted for use. There needs to be more focus on better irrigation service delivery and better on-farm water management, coupled with improvements to boost productivity. With a rapidly growing population, Pakistan will inevitably become more water scarce in a relative sense. But Pakistan can become water secure through efficient and sustainable resource management, improved service delivery, and better risk mitigation.

 

[ghazi52]

Tarbela finally hits maximum level

Tarbela dam finally hits maximum level. This monsoon has seen one of the lowest inflows into the dam in many years.



ISLAMABAD: Tarbela dam has hit its maximum storage level of 1,550-feet on Monday exactly 42 days after it had touched dead level on July 8. The dam has a storage capacity of 6.047 million acre feet (MAF).

However, the total storage in the country’s reservoirs was still 30 per cent lower than last year mainly because of low storage in Mangla dam, the country’s largest reservoir by storage capacity.

So far, the main reservoirs have gained 65.60pc of the combined live storage of 13.681 MAF leaving about 34.40pc capacity still to be filled.

The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) on Monday reported that total storage in three major reservoirs – Mangla and Tarbela dams and Chashma barrage – stood at 8.975 MAF compared to 12.87MAF on the same date last year. The total storage capacity is about 13.681 MAF.

Country’s overall water storage still 30pc lower than last year

An official said it was unlikely that reservoirs could achieve full storage capacity because water level in Mangla dam was still 71 feet lower that its maximum conservation level of 1242 feet and enough river flows were not expected to fill the dam to capacity.

He said the total inflows at rim stations were recorded at 374,200 cusec on Monday and the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) was releasing about 311,200 cusec, which meant about 63,000 cusec water was being conserved in reservoirs at present.

The Water & Power Development Authority (Wapda) separately reported that river Indus was flowing 224,800 cusec at Tarbela against its discharge of about 181,000 cusec. Kabul at Nowshera was flowing 45,800 cusecs while Jhelum flows at Mangla were reported at a meagre 29,300 cusec and hence only 10,000 cusec were being released downstream.

Flows in Chenab at Marala were reported at 74,300 cusec compared to outflows of 42,600 cusec.

It may be noted that Tarbela dam has a minimum operating (dead) level of 1386 feet and was currently at its 1550 feet maximum conservation level. Mangla’s minimum operating level is 1050 feet and its current storage stood at 1170.75 feet. Mangla dam’s maximum conservation level is 1242 feet. Its live storage at present is 2.701 MAF.

Chashma barrage has a minimum operating level of 638.15 feet and its present conservation level of 648 feet against . Live storage of Chashma currently stood at 0.227 MAF.

It was reported that rivers Indus and Kabul continued to flow in low flood at Guddu and Warsak respectively while all other rivers were flowing normal.

According to Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) a fresh monsoon low had developed over Northwestern Bay of Bengal (India) while Monday’s trough of Westerly Wave had now moved away Eastwards, whereas seasonal low still persist over Northwestern Balochistan.

 

[ghazi52]

List of barrages and headworks in Pakistan

 

[ghazi52]

This is a list of barrage and Headworks in Pakistan.

• Munda Headworks

Punjab

• 1 Balloki Headworks
• 2 Chashma Barrage
• 3 Islam Barrage
• 4 Jinnah Barrage
• 5 Khanki Headworks
• 6 Marala Headworks
• 7 Panjnad Headworks
• 8 Qadirabad Headworks
• 9 Rasul Barrage
• 10 Sidhnai Headworks
• 11 Sulemanki Headworks
• 12 Taunsa Barrage
• 13 Trimmu Barrage
• 14 Islam Headworks
• 15 Mohammad wala Headwork
• 16 Ghazi Barotha Barrage

Kurta

Sindh

• Guddu Barrage
• Kotri Barrage
• Sukkur

 

[Inception-06]

This is a list of barrage and Headworks in Pakistan.

• Munda Headworks

Punjab

• 1 Balloki Headworks
• 2 Chashma Barrage
• 3 Islam Barrage
• 4 Jinnah Barrage
• 5 Khanki Headworks
• 6 Marala Headworks
• 7 Panjnad Headworks
• 8 Qadirabad Headworks
• 9 Rasul Barrage
• 10 Sidhnai Headworks
• 11 Sulemanki Headworks
• 12 Taunsa Barrage
• 13 Trimmu Barrage
• 14 Islam Headworks
• 15 Mohammad wala Headwork
• 16 Ghazi Barotha Barrage

Kurta

Sindh

• Guddu Barrage
• Kotri Barrage
• Sukkur

I was last week at the Qadirabad Headworks,zero megawatts no turbines!

 

[alee92nawaz]

ISLAMABAD - With increased inflow in River Indus water position in Tarbela Dam has improved and is likely to reach its peak level of 1550 Feet by Monday.

"Last year Tarbela has achieved its peak level on August 16 however this year it is likely to achieve its peak level by 20th August," official source told The Nation here Friday. The current live storage of Tarbela is 5.775 MAF.

However, Mangla Dam is unlikely achieve its peak level this year due to low flows in Jhelum and Chenab rivers during the season, said the official. Mangla is far from peak level as the current live storage in Mangla is 2.578 MAF against the total capacity of 7.4 MAF.

Last year during the same period the total storage in the country reservoirs was 13.2 MAF which is 8.529 MAF, he said. Adding that the deficiency is mainly because of Mangla.

The position of the river inflows and outflows at Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma along with the reservoirs levels and the barrages Friday is as under:

The total inflows in rivers on Friday were 359600 cusecs while the out flows were outflows were 279600 cusecs.

Last year during the same period inflows were 420000 cusecs.

Inflows in river Indus at Tarbela were 214800 cusecs and outflows 157100 cusecs, Kabul at Nowshera inflows 43400 cusecs and outflows 43400 cusecs, inflow in Jhelum at Mangla 32300 cusecs and outflows 10000 cusecs, inflows in Chenab at Marala were 69100 cusecs and outflows 42600 cusecs.

Inflow in Jinnah Barrage were 237800 cusecs and outflows 229800 cusecs, Chashma: inflows 264700 cusecs and outflows 180000 cusecs, Taunsa inflows 287200 cusecs and outflows 266100 cusecs, Panjnad inflows 31700 cusecs and outflows 16900 cusecs Guddu inflows 238800 cusecs and outflows 208300 cusecs, Sukkur: inflows 150500 cusecs and outflows 94800, Kotri inflows 51600 cusecs and outflows 9800 cusecs.

Tarbela against the minimum operating level of 1386 feet is presently at 1545.23 feet. The maximum conservation level of Tarbela is 1550 feet while the live storage of the dam is 5.775 million acre feet (MAF).

Mangla against the minimum operating level of 1050 feet is presently at 1168.20 feet. The maximum conservation level of Mangla is 1242 feet while the live storage is 2.578 MAF.

Chashma against the minimum operating level of 638.15 feet is presently at 646.70 feet. The maximum conservation level of the dam is 649 feet while live storage is 0.176 MAF.

We need more reservoirs ۔

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

@ghazi52 Doing some tremendous coverage of Pakistani infrastructure

 

[ghazi52]

Today Mangla Dam reached at 1174 its mean in 5 days 4 feet rise...