Gilgit-Hunza Nagar road link cleared

The road between Gilgit and Hunza Nagar which was blocked at the Nomal Faizabad point has now been cleared on Sunday.

The road was blocked after lightening struck the hill which resulted in a landslide, leaving hundreds of people stranded.

However, locals and passengers without any help of the administration or any machinery, carried away the rocks and opened the road which was closed for three hours.

Meanwhile, water flowing into the Attabad lake is measured to be at 5,500 cusecs, while the ouflow has reached 5,700 cusecs today.

The process of erosion in Attabad lake has slowed down, causing the water level to increase by two inches in the lake.

Experts said that the situation is under control. Helicopters continued to provide relief goods to the affectees. The medical team sent by the Punjab government is visiting different camps to provide assistance.

Attabad lake: The inflow surpasses outflow

The water level in the Attabad “landslide lake” increased by two inches on Saturday after inflow surpassed outflow. Meanwhile, another landslide at the lake whipped up fear among local residents who are already terrified.

“The melting of glaciers has increased with rising temperatures, resulting in an increase in inflow,” an official told The Express Tribune. “On Saturday, the inflow was recorded at about 5,300 cusecs while the outflow was about 5,200 cusecs,” he added.

The lake was created back on January 4 when a massive landslide blocked the Hunza River at Attabad, killing 20 people and washing away portions of the strategic Karakoram Highway.

By June, the lake expanded over an area of 25 kilometres, submerging at least four villages upstream and threatening many more downstream. At least 25,000 people were marooned, as the only link between upper Hunza and Gilgit was severed.

On Saturday morning, another landslide plunged into the lake, raising fear among residents of nearby villages. “Since most of the residents have left vulnerable villages located near the lake, there were no casualties,” an official told The Express Tribune by the phone from Hunza.

Sources, meanwhile, said that authorities were likely to take a “crucial” decision about the spillway of the lake which did not open up as fast as was expected. Slow outflow through the spillway is causing concern and the authorities want to rectify this problem as soon as possible.

Helicopters are ferrying aid supplies to a large number of people stranded in upper Hunza, said sources in the National Disaster Management Authority. These helicopters have flown 1,316 sorties since January 4, ferrying 12,463 people and 376 tonnes of relief goods.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2010.