The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) released 32,000 cusecs more water from the Tarbela Reservoir downstream on Thursday to maintain current quantum of water supply for Kharif crops in the country. Official sources told Business Recorder that water inflow has drastically decreased in the mighty Indus and its three tributaries from 0.5 million cusecs to about 0.3 million cusecs in a week's time which has necessitated more releases from the Tarbela dam. The Indus river inflow at Tarbela dam on 26th June was 0.169 million cusecs as compared to its 16th June inflow of 0.315 million cusecs. River Kabul which submerges into river Indus near Attock bridge on Islamabad-Peshawar motorway contributed about 50,000 cusecs to gush 0.215 million cusecs water downstream Chashma Barrage towards Taunsa, Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages for releases in the irrigation canals of Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh provinces. Water discharge at Guddu Barrage and Sukkur Barrage reached 0.2 million cusecs and 0.135 cusecs mark respectively on Thursday which would help irrigate the Kharif crops and replenish the underground water supply. Water inflow in rivers Jhelum and Chenab was 41,000 cusecs and 60,000 cusecs at Mangla and Marala respectively, which was much below the normal flow in mid-summer. Irrigation and agriculture experts say that the primary reason behind the water shortage was the 25 percent less snowfall this year, as compared to previous years and this had resulted into 25 percent less water inflows in the country. Experts say that water management and distribution has always been an important but cumbersome process in Pakistan, whose economy is based mainly on agriculture and related industry. They say since most of Pakistan is arid or semi-arid, the Indus River System serves a vital national role. The watershed irrigates 80 percent of Pakistan's 21.5 million hectares of farmland, through a well-knitted network of canals (The other 20 percent is fed by rainfall). Almost 90 percent of the water in the Upper Indus River Basin comes from remote glaciers tucked in the majestic Himalayan and Karakorum mountain ranges, which border China and India, and the Hindukush, which borders Afghanistan. The rest comes from rains, especially during the monsoon season from July to September. Copyright Business Recorder, 2008