The cumulative water storage in Pakistan’s major reservoirs—Tarbela, Mangla, and Chashma—reached 11.506 million acre-feet (MAF) on Thursday, surpassing the five-year average of 11.267 MAF by 2 percent.
Tarbela Reservoir achieved its maximum conservation level of 1,550 feet on August 19, 2024, and has maintained this level since then, according to a press release issued on Thursday. Similarly, the water level in Chashma Reservoir is close to its maximum conservation level, standing at 648.50 feet, just shy of the 649-foot limit. Mangla Reservoir was recorded at 1,217.90 feet on Thursday, slightly above the five-year average of 1,217.45 feet, with a storage capacity of 5.455 MAF, marginally exceeding the five-year average of 5.423 MAF. This status at Mangla reflects the Jhelum River’s inflows for the current season.
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The Mangla Reservoir’s level is expected to improve further due to reduced irrigation demand, which is influenced by the forecast of rainfall in Pakistan’s southern regions and better water flows in the Indus and Kabul rivers.
If the current trends in Jhelum River inflows and reservoir releases continue until September 10, Mangla is likely to reach a level of 1,222 feet, with the possibility of further improvement depending on the hydrological response of the Chenab River and rainfall in the Mangla Dam catchment area.
