Heavy monsoon rains have lifted Pakistan’s water reservoirs to an exceptional 75% capacity, with Tarbela Dam nearly full at 96%, Federal Minister for Water Resources Muhammad Mueen Wattoo told the National Assembly on Wednesday.
He noted that water levels at Tarbela, Mangla, and Chashma normally dip to their lowest for about two months each year, but this year’s trend has been the opposite. Current figures show Mangla at 64% and Chashma at 83% capacity.
Wattoo stressed that the government is treating water security as a national priority. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is personally overseeing regular high-level reviews — held every three days — to push forward new storage initiatives and secure long-term solutions for both irrigation and rain-fed farming areas.
On inter-provincial water sharing, the minister said the 1991 Water Accord remains the governing framework and is being strictly enforced. Provinces receive their allocated share in full, with complete autonomy in managing it.
To ensure transparency and remove disputes, the government is installing a telemetry system for real-time tracking of water flows. “Any province that feels shortchanged should present verifiable data. If any deliberate shortfall is proven, strict action will follow,” he said.