Hunza IDPs attempt to widen spillway

Hundreds of people displaced by the artificial lake near Attabad defied police cordon and attempted to drain the lake.

After being restrained for months, hundreds of people displaced by the artificial lake near Attabad defied police cordon and rushed to widen the spillway in an attempt to drain the lake.

Later, the home secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan said that cases will be registered against people “who tried to sabotage the spillway”.

About 100 people remained in the government-declared ‘high danger zone’ for more than six hours before withdrawing in the evening, warning that they would resume the work on Friday.

They complained that the government was not doing enough to drain the lake which had forced them out of their homes about two months ago.

“It has been a month since we have been shifted to camps but there are still no signs of a resolution of the lake issue,” said a displaced man.

He said that the lake “is still there threatening the well-being of more than 20,000 people in downstream villages”.

Earlier, sources said, police tried to stop the people from entering the ‘red zone’ without any success.

Despite digging the spillway for hours, the displaced people could not achieve results.

The region’s home secretary, Asif Bilal Lodhi, said that a few “motivated” individuals unnecessarily created panic and unrest in the area and they will be booked.

Lodhi, who is also director-general of the region’s Disaster Management Authority, said that the protesters had not only risked their own lives, but had also endangered the lives of thousands others who lived in downstream areas.

“Who would have been responsible if their so-called sacrifice created a flashflood, damaging property and endangering lives of other people?”

The lake’s outflow, he said, had reached the level of 7,100 cusecs on Thursday, with indications that it will remain constant. He said that the displaced people will be provided food for one more month at the camps.

Lodhi said that chairman of the NDMA Lt-Gen Farooq Ahmed would visit the area on Friday to review the situation.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2010.