Water discharge surpasses inflow

The water level of Attabad Lake decreased by two inches, indicating that water discharge from the lake has surpassed inflow.

The water level of Attabad Lake decreased by two inches on Wednesday, indicating that water discharge from the lake has surpassed inflow.

“It’s an indicator. The decrease of lake level means that the outflow of water is more than the inflow,” claimed Zafar Waqar Taj, the deputy commissioner of Hunza.

He said the rate of erosion being caused by the water in the spillway was slow, meaning that the water bursting its banks was not imminent. He also said that the outflow recorded on Wednesday was 376 cusecs.

It couldn’t however be ascertained as to what was the remaining level of the lake after it decreased by 2 inches.

Some officials said that the level of lake stood at 370 feet after it decreased, while others said it was still above 375 feet.

Officials said that the Gilgit-Baltistan government, led by Chief Minister Mehdi Shah, was planning to repatriate IDPs to their houses.

“A decision to this effect is due in a day or two,” said an official, adding that a country director of UNDP also visited the Attabad lake and met communities who suffered at the hands of the disaster.

Meanwhile, Muslim Aid, a UK-based relief and development agency, has set up a dispensary in Danyore for Hunza landslide-stricken people.

A medical team is deployed with necessary items in Danyore, Muslim Aid spokesperson Muhammad Haseeb Khalid said.

He added that the organisation has dispatched essential life-saving drugs to the affected area, according to a press release.

“Our doctors with essential medicines are working in Gilgit for the last 20 days in collaboration with the district government of Gilgit,” he said.

He said that cases of malnutrition, anaemia, scabies, eczema, typhoid are being treated by a team of the charity’s doctors. “We treat 80 to 100 patients daily and provide them free-of-cost life-saving drugs,” he said.

Besides providing medical aid, the charity is also providing access to clean drinking water in Jutal Camp 1, Jutal Camp 2, Jutal Camp 3, Al-Azhar Camp and Chilmadas Camp. (Additional input by APP)

Published in the Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2010.