Tarbela discharge rises from 8,000 to 30,000 cusecs, while Mangla releases around 15,000 cusecs
View of the Sukkur Barrage formerly known as the Lloyd Barrage, as flood water passes through, following monsoon rains and rising levels of Indus River in Sukkur, Sindh province. Photo: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has increased water releases from major reservoirs in response to rising provincial demand, leading to a significant rise in hydropower generation and improved power supply conditions, according to official statements on Friday, according to a notification from IRSA.
According to ISRA, discharge from Tarbela Dam has been raised from 8,000 to 30,000 cusecs, while Mangla Dam is currently releasing around 15,000 cusecs.
Water allocations for provinces have also been revised, with Sindh’s share increased from 35,000 to 50,000 cusecs and Punjab’s share raised from 33,000 to 43,000 cusecs. Further increases in water releases may follow in the coming days.
Water released by IRSA
The rise in water outflows is expected to support electricity generation, with hydropower output improving alongside easing demand due to better weather conditions.
As a result, the country’s electricity shortfall has declined to around 3,000 megawatts.
Hydropower generation has reached 3,400 megawatts, while thermal plants are producing around 8,000 megawatts. Solar power contributes 350 megawatts, nuclear plants are generating up to 2,880 megawatts, wind power 1,300 megawatts, and biogas 80 megawatts.
Total electricity generation stands at 16,010 megawatts against a demand of 19,000 megawatts.
Loadshedding has reportedly been reduced to zero in parts of Islamabad.
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Increased water releases from dams led to a rise in hydropower generation during the night. A total of 30,000 cusecs of water was released from dams last night, compared to 8,000 cusecs during the night of April 15 and 16, a power division spokesperson said.
Due to higher water outflows, hydropower generation increased by 2,300 megawatts. Previously, hydropower generation stood at 1,800 megawatts, which rose to 4,100 megawatts following increased water releases. The increase in hydropower also helped facilitate the transfer of 400 megawatts from the southern region, as improved generation reduced stability issues in the central grid, he added.
The spokesperson said that increased water demand from the agriculture sector may further boost hydropower generation. Load management duration decreased from six hours to between 2.5 and 3 hours last night.
They added that the timely availability of LNG and increased hydropower generation would help resolve the temporary load management issue, he added.
Yesterday, Power Minister Awais Leghari acknowledged the strain on the system, saying the country was facing a shortfall exceeding 3,400MW due to reduced hydropower generation and constraints in imported fuel supplies.
He attributed the pressure to fluctuating demand amid changing weather conditions, lower water releases for irrigation, and the impact of regional tensions on LNG cargoes, which curtailed output from gas-fired plants. The situation may improve with higher water inflows and better fuel availability, but the persistence of outages suggests structural challenges continue to undermine supply stability.
