Engineers are speculating that the cracks on Naltar Power Plant’s water reservoir were widened by some worms that, quite literally, ate up the concrete along the fissures that had developed in the reservoir’s concrete walls.
Talking to The Express Tribune on Monday, Water and Power Department’s Executive Engineer Hamid Hussain said a substantial number of these worms were found when the reservoir was drained and they might have caused damage to the reservoir.
The experts who started the repairs a couple of days back used some chemical substance to fill in the fissures but the worms in the reservoir ate that up too.
The widening fissures on the walls of the water reservoir of the 18 megawatt hydro-power plant are a threat to the lives of the 70 families settled downstream, who are at risk of being swept away if the wall is breached.
After the issue was brought to light, the Gilgit-Baltistan government called in two experts from Lahore to stop the leakage. Power to the region’s administrative capital has remained suspended.
Gilgit experienced a round-the-clock blackout. In addition to braving the freezing cold, residents have to bear extreme power outages, with only seven hours of electricity available during the past six days.
Officials of water and power department are also assisting experts in the repair work. There are at least three major fissures in the 18-kanal reservoir’s walls and base causing water to seep through.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2012.
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