Pakistan

Gilgit-Baltistan lake plan finalises

Express May 05, 2010

GILGIT: Authorities in Gilgit have finalised a contingency plan in case the artificial lake in the Attabad area bursts its banks, officials said on Monday.

“More than 600 policemen, backed by paramilitary Gilgit Scouts and Rangers, are ready to provide rescue services in case the dam is breached,” an official told The Express Tribune. He said the plan was finalised at a high-level meeting held in Gilgit with Chief Minister Mehdi Shah in the chair. The official said the police and paramilitary troops would not only provide rescue and relief activities but would also check possible looting by miscreants in case of any eventuality.

He said downstream villages, right from Attabad in Hunza Valley to Gilgit, have been put under round-the-clock surveillance to ensure that things do not get out of control, if the 13-kilometre long lake bursts banks. “There are remote chances of the lake bursting its banks. However, we are prepared for the worst,” officials told The Express Tribune. Chief Minister Mehdi Shah recently visited some lowlying villages of Gilgit to see the situation on ground.

He assured local residents that the government had taken a number of measures to avoid loss to life and property in case of any eventuality. Meanwhile sources said that army engineers were working round-the-clock to create a spillway to ease pressure on the lake. They claimed that there was no immediate threat to the dam. However, residents fear that the dam can burst anytime due to the rapidly rising water level in the lake.

The artificial lake was formed as a result of a massive landslide in January which blocked the flow of the Hunza River. At least 19 people were killed and several villages and hamlets were affected in the tragedy.

COMMENTS (2)

Imran Hunzai | 14 years ago | Reply The best political joke we have ever came across! So, the politicians are expecting loss of life & property. Frankly at least I can't see any major step taken by the so called democratic government to avoid a major incident. It has been over four months now and the ENGINEERS have not been able to create a spillway to ease pressure on the lake.

Liaqut | 14 years ago | Reply its not the officials are preparing for the worst in this remote region of the world but the officials of the Pakistan government including the army has created intentionally this worst condition for the inhabitants of this remote part of the world. the said government is doing nothing just waiting for more destruction to come in this region because of its lack of interest. the army core of FWO is even doing the worse and it has even don't have the modern engineering skills to remove the debris and create a spillway for the water. this was the Chinese government that took interest to save the area from such kind of big disaster and had offered to remove the debris while working and reducing the water level through pumps from the lake. Now the pakistani governmenthas totally failed to save the area from such kind of disaster that are being faced by this remoter poor region of the world. the upstream area around 200 housholds have lost their home and property that they had from more then 100 years from their ancestors during their poor harsh economic condition. the corrupt officials have nothing to do now except waiting for the international aid and money to come to fill their own packets.

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