The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has scheduled a meeting of its advisory committee next week to finalise water availability plan for the upcoming Rabi season. Current reservoir levels are 20 percent higher than the average of the past three years, giving a positive outlook for water management.
According to a notification, the IRSA Advisory Committee meeting will be held on October 7, 2025, under Chapter III Clause 10 of the IRSA Act 1992. The session will be chaired by IRSA Chairman Engr Sahibzada Muhammad Shabi and will be attended by provincial representatives, WAPDA members, and senior officials from irrigation and agriculture departments.
The Water Accord 1991 empowers IRSA to determine water availability and provincial shares twice a year, for both Kharif and Rabi seasons. The upcoming session will not only assess the water position for Rabi 2025–26 but will also finalise water availability plan based on current storage and operational updates of Tarbela, Mangla, and Chashma dams.
Official data shows that Tarbela reservoir has reached its maximum level of 1550 feet compared to 1537.70 feet last year. Mangla is also near its peak at 1240.75 feet, while Chashma has recorded 649 feet compared to 646.60 feet during the same period last year.
As of September 30, 2025, live storage in reservoirs stands at 13.214 million acre-feet (MAF), which is around 20 percent higher than the three-year average of 10.621 MAF. Downstream Kotri escape during Kharif 2025 was recorded at 30.848 MAF, significantly above the 21.522 MAF released during Kharif 2024.
The advisory committee is expected to finalise water availability plan to ensure fair distribution of resources. While Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remain exempt from cuts, any shortage will be shared by Sindh and Punjab.
This improved water situation is likely to support agriculture, boost Rabi crop cultivation, and ease provincial concerns over distribution.
In other news read more about: IRSA Warns of 21% Water Shortage Amid Indian Curtailment of Chenab River Flows
