The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has raised concerns about a looming water crisis in the canals this summer. The authority has pointed at WAPDA, citing alleged incompetence, diminished snowfall, and rampant water theft as contributing factors. There are fears that the water deficit could soar to as much as 40 percent during the summer months. According to sources from the meeting briefing, IRSA highlighted WAPDA's failure to complete the expansion projects on Tarbela Dam. Furthermore, the delay in the construction of the T-5 project is expected to withhold 85 thousand cusecs of water. According to the authority's sources, a staggering 30,000 cusecs of water will remain undelivered due to the flawed design of the T4 project. This adds to the overall shortfall, with a total of 115,000 cusecs of water expected to be unavailable from Tarbela Dam. Moreover, Punjab is set to face a shortage of 45,000 cusecs of water due to the reconstruction of Mangla Dam power units. The sources added that IRSA also hi ghlighted that the ongoing water theft, estimated at 15 percent from canals, barrages, and rivers, will exacerbate the water crisis. Additionally, in the current kharif season, an alarming ten million cusecs of water are expected to be lost to the sea. Furthermore, discrepancies in the reported figures regarding water distribution among the provinces were revealed, further complicating the situation. Source: Pro Pakistani