Mangla dam reaches dead level, WAPDA halts water release

“The water level at Mangla Dam has reached the dead level, dropping to 1,050 feet, prompting authorities to halt water discharge, said the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

A WAPDA spokesperson noted that the water level at Tarbela Dam is only 3 feet above the dead level and is expected to reach dead level within the next 36 hours.

Currently, the water level at Tarbela Dam stands at 1,402 feet, with only 15,000 acre-feet of water remaining in storage. Meanwhile, Mangla Dam holds 72,000 acre-feet of water, and Chashma Dam contains 15,000 acre-feet.

The combined water storage across Tarbela, Mangla, and Chashma dams is currently 102,000 acre-feet, the WAPDA spokesperson said.

Water inflow and outflow details at various locations are as follows: at Tarbela on the Indus River, the inflow is 22,200 cusecs, with an outflow of 20,000 cusecs. At Mangla on the Jhelum River, inflow is 19,900 cusecs, and outflow is 28,000 cusecs; at Chashma Barrage, inflow is 38,400 cusecs, and outflow is 27,000 cusecs.

In addition, at the head of the Chenab River, the water inflow is 10,800 cusecs, with an outflow of 6,100 cusecs, while at Nowshera on the Kabul River, the inflow and outflow are both recorded at 14,300 cusecs.