ISLAMABAD, March 9: The Indus River System Authority slashed on Tuesday water share of Punjab and Sindh by 22 per cent for the remaining period of Rabi season i.e. March 11-31.

Sources in Irsa told Dawn that a meeting of the authority reviewed the water situation and was informed that total water shortage had risen to 14 per cent, about three per cent higher than the earlier projection of 11 per cent. The shortage was originally projected at eight per cent at the beginning of Rabi season in October.

The sources said that Tarbela and Mangla dams had touched their dead level and now water was being released on a run-of-the-river basis. The provinces had been informed about the cut in their share, the sources added.

Tarbela Dam on Tuesday touched its reduced dead level of 1,365 feet. Its dead level was reduced from 1,369 feet last week to ensure a discharge of around 40,000 cusec additional water for irrigation purposes. Mangla is empty for the last couple of weeks.

The sources said the meeting also considered a Met office report which suggested reasonable rains over the next couple of days, which may improve the situation to some extent.

It was decided to hold Irsa meetings on a daily basis to revise provincial water share as and when required. The sources said water releases to Punjab reduced to 7,000 cusec on Tuesday from 11,000 cusec a day before. It would be further reduced on Wednesday.

Similarly, 26,000 cusec from Guddu Barrage and 20,000 cusec from Chashma Barrage were released to Sindh against its indent of 35,000 cusec. Sindh's share is expected to be reduced further to 14,000 cusec on Wednesday.

No further cut would be made in the Balochistan and NWFP share because of their lack of utilization infrastructure, the sources said. On Tuesday, water inflow at Tarbela was recorded at 16,100 cusec against an outflow of 23,800 cusec. Discharge at upstream Taunsa stood at 23,089 cusec against a downstream discharge of 19,487 cusec.

Inflow at Mangla was recorded at 19,660 cusec against an outflow of 20,000 cusec. Water level at Chashma stood at 638 feet against its dead end of 637 feet. Inflow at Chashma stood at 26,435 cusec against an outflow of 18,735 cusec.

On February 26, Irsa had raised water shortage estimates to 11 per cent from the original eight per cent shortage estimated at the start of Rabi season. Accordingly, Irsa decided on Thursday last to apply the shortage equitably to Punjab and Sindh and reduce canal withdrawals to manage water requirement till the end of the season.