LAHORE: The raised Mangla Dam became the country’s biggest reservoir on Sunday when water storage in its lake rose to 6.65 million acre feet, surpassing 6.58MAF, the maximum live storage capacity of Tarbela Dam.

“Water storage in the Mangla Lake increased to 6.65MAF this morning, as against 6.58MAF maximum live storage capacity of Tarbela Dam that used to be the biggest reservoir till Aug 24, 2013,” a Wapda spokesman said.

The Mangla Lake now has 2.88MAF of additional water available to be used for agriculture and generation of hydel electricity.

The height of Mangla Dam has been raised by 30 feet which has enabled its reservoir to restore water up to 1,242 feet against the previous conservation level of 1,202 feet above the mean sea level.

“…[as a result] the live storage capacity of the raised Mangla Dam has increased to 7.39MAF from 4.51MAF. Given the current weather forecast, the prospects for filling of Mangla reservoir to its maximum conservation level are bright,” said the spokesman.

Water in Mangla crossed 1,232.5 feet level on Sunday morning, leaving 2.14MAF of additional water available in the reservoir. In addition to managing the current floods, the dam will ensure the country benefits worth billions of rupees in agriculture and power sector by utilising the additional water.

The spokesman said that filling of additional water in Mangla this year reflected the federal government’s resolve to conservation and optimal utilisation of water for agriculture-based economy.

“Last month, it was mutually decided by all stakeholders to fill the raised Mangla Dam this year up to its maximum level, as for the purpose the federal government had promised to pay off the financial liabilities of the affected persons of the project.

“The additional water that has so far been stored in the Mangla lake is a result of the concerted efforts of the Pakistan government, the Ministry of Water and Power, the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, the governments of Azad Jammu and Kashmir besides Punjab and Wapda.”