HYDERABAD: Keeping in view the water flow from Tarbela Dam, all three barrages of Sindh would be having normal flows and would not face any flood situation. Guddu Barrage would be having normal flows by Aug 25 and one day later Sukkur Barrage would get normal flows.

Guddu and Sukkur barrages are still having medium flood levels.

Estimates by Sukkur Barrage control room showed that floodwater, that was to reach from Sutlej River, would not be more than 60,000 cusecs to 70,000 cusecs when they enter Indus at Chachran Sharif after crossing Panjnad Barrage.

Taunsa Barrage downstream flows are likely to drop from 185,098 cusecs (Aug 22) to 135,000 cusecs in the next few days when water flows (60,000 cusecs to 70,000 cusecs) from the Sutlej would fall in the Indus. Sutlej River flows have started reaching Panjnad where level is rising. On Aug 21, Panjnad had a downstream flow of 48,297 cusecs at 6am and on Aug 22 it was passing 55,045 cusecs at 6pm for Indus.

Inflows in Tarbela have dropped as reflected from last two days’ flows statistics.

On Aug 21, water inflows of Tarbela were 183,000 cusecs and on Aug 22, it was having 163,000 cusecs. Sutlej water — released by India — would be reaching Chachran Sharif probably on Aug 28 or 29. Gauge at Chachran Sharif has dropped from 10.1 on Aug 21 to 9.6 on Thursday.

“There is a guesstimate that initially when Sutlej had started receiving water from India its level will be 23ft at Ganda Singh Wala, but it remains 19ft as per our information,” a control room official said.

He anticipates that there should be low flood levels at Guddu in the next 24 or 48 hours.

According to Sindh chief minister’s special assistant on irrigation Ashfaq Memon, the Sindh government is not submitting indent of 160,000 cusecs at Chashma Barrage to the Indus River System Authority for Sindh’s barrages as situation in the next couple of days would be completely normal and there would be no flood situation.

River water flows showed that Guddu Barrage was currently having medium level flows of 397,089 cusecs upstream and 362,839 cusecs downstream whereas Sukkur Barrage is also having medium flood level with upstream flows of 364,630 cusecs and downstream flows of 303,625 at 6pm. Kotri Barrage upstream discharge was recorded 181,944 cusecs and 144,639 cusecs downstream at 6pm on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2019