Various farmers/agriculturist bodies have accused the caretaker government of releasing 600,000 acre feet of water in January from the reservoirs to produce electricity instead of conserving it for crucial watering of wheat crop in the month of March. Founder President of Punjab Water Council, Farooq Bajwa told Business Recorder here on Monday that irrigation canals were closed for annual repairs/cleansing in December/January in the country. However, he said, Wapda released huge quantities of water from the Tarbela and Mangla dams to produce electricity but the caretaker provincial governments which are members of the Indus River System Authority did not look after interest of the agriculture sector and conserved the water for irrigation in lean period. He said the dams have already reached their dead levels and only run of the river water is now being released for Rabbi crop, which is not sufficient. He apprehended that due to this mismanagement/wastage of water there would be more than 3 million ton less production of wheat in Punjab alone this year and the nation would have to spend huge foreign exchange on import of wheat. President of the Pakistan Kissan Board, Sardar Zafar said the farmers have not used DAP and other fertilisers this year due to their high prices and the government has also created a man-made crisis by wasting the precious irrigation water. He said the Irsa used to meet requirements of the provinces by mixing the run of the river water with the water conserved in the dams for releases in middle of March, but now if there are no rains the wheat crop would be badly affected. Wapda confirmed here on Monday that only 77,000 cusecs run of the river water is being released for irrigation purposes in the country. It gave the position of the river inflows/outflows at Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma along with the reservoirs levels and the barrage as under: RIVERS: Indus at Tarbela - inflow 20,600 cusecs, outflow 20,600 cusecs; Kabul at Nowshera - inflow 12,500 cusecs and outflow 12,500 cusecs; Indus at Chashma - inflow 27,700 cusecs and outflow 23,500 cusecs; Jhelum at Mangia - inflow 29,800 cusecs and outflow 24,000 cusecs; Chenab at Marala - inflow 14,400 cusecs and outflow 6,900 cusecs. BARRAGES: Jinhah - Inflow 37,900 cusecs and outflow 34,900 cusecs; Chashma -inflow 27,700 cusecs and outflow 23,500 cusecs; Taunsa - inflow 25,100 cusecs and outflow 24,100 cusecs; Guddu - inflow 24,700 cusecs and outflow 21,900 cusecs; Sukkur - inflow 19,100 cusecs and outflow 3,600 cusecs and Kotli inflow 2.565 cusecs and outflow nill. Copyright Business Recorder, 2008