Rains increase flows in barrages, improve water shortage situation.

HYDERABAD -- The province of Sindh, which has been deprived of water, has finally got adequate water flows due to recent spells of monsoon rains in the province and upper reaches, forcing irrigation authorities to either close water flows or reduce them in different main canals of the barrages, said the officials of different barrages.

Guddu Barrage would shortly attain 'low level floods' level status in next 48-72 hours, and even Kotri Barrage downstream - that were only seen in flood season - have increased also when compared with water situation experienced in April-May period this year.

A look at current water flows indicated that Guddu Barrage was having 216,294 cusecs flows upstream and downstream flows of 196,984 cusecs at 6pm on Sunday. A flow of 200,000 cusecs is considered low flood level at any barrage.

'Guddu Barrage will attain low flood level soon,' said Sukkur Barrage official Aziz Soomro.

Likewise, Sukkur Barrage was having 148,200 cusecs upstream and 125,050 cusecs downstream this evening. Kotri Barrage was having a flow of 99,375 cusecs and 88,550 cusecs downstream. Farmlands fed by Kotri Barrage were brought under paddy cultivation. Water shortage had been a problem for growers here, but rains have rescued paddy growers and water situation had also improved in the system.

Flows at Punjab's Taunsa Barrage downstream head for Sindh's Guddu Barrage after joining downstream flows at Panjnad Barrage - had reported 322,517 cusecs upstream and 315,217 cusecs downstream flows.

'Given present river flows conditions, we anticipate that Guddu Barrage will have a discharge of 275,000 cusecs in next 48-72 hours,' said Soomro.

Panjnad Barrage downstream flows of 32,288 cusecs would join flows at Taunsa Barrage. These flows would then reach Guddu, he said and added that Taunsa was getting water flows triggered by rainfall in Koh-i-Suleman range.

Only a couple of months back, Guddu Barrage had reported 90pc shortage in April-May as well due to highly inadequate poor flows of water in Indus river system, leading to acrimony between Sindh and Punjab over interprovincial water distribution and missing flows at Taunsa downstream. One of the right side canals of Guddu Barrage, Pat Feeder, also supplies water to Balochistan. Balochistan had also been complaining about non-availability of flows from Sindh as per their share under Water Accord.

In view of improved water flows in the system, the flows at Kotri Barrage now would also increase. The...