Irsa fails to finalise water shortage estimates.

ISLAMABAD -- A surprise Tarbela operational plan from Wapda on Thursday came as a shock to the advisory committee of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) which could not even take up, let alone finalise the Water Availability and Distribution Plan for the Kharif season starting April 1.

Interestingly, the Wapda authorities were part of the Irsa's Technical Committee (ITC) meeting held on March 24 that had discussed criteria for estimated water shortages and availability during the coming season but did not apprise the meeting about any changes to its operational plan. The ITC had received from various stakeholders separate shortage estimates that ranged between 25 to 35 per cent.

More shockingly, the members for water and power of Wapda who are permanent members of the Irsa's Advisory Committee (IAC) did not attend the meeting on Thursday that had been called specifically for finalising the water distribution plan for the upcoming season based on estimated water availability and shortages.

Instead, Wapda's adviser and general managers for Tarbela, construction and maintenance and power attended the advisory committee meeting and reported that Tarbela Dam's Tunnel-5 (T5) construction plan had changed drastically because of operational constraints and outflows would be much lower than earlier committed in September 2021.

The flabbergasted members and chairman of the Irsa kept on asking the Wapda team what catastrophe had...