ISLAMABAD: Tarbela Dam has reached its maximum storage level, according to officials, a milestone that reflects the intensity of the current high-flow season.

Sources attributed the filling of the reservoir to sustained inflows driven by heavy rainfall and continued snowmelt in the catchment areas upstream.

The development lands in the middle of a difficult monsoon. Punjab’s PDMA has already reported dozens of deaths from rain-related incidents this season, and a fresh spell of monsoon rain has prompted new alerts across the country.

A full Tarbela is good news for irrigation and hydel generation heading into the later part of the year, but it also narrows the cushion available to absorb further inflows, keeping flood managers on alert as the season continues.