Colour me blue: The call of water

Residents of Haripur, surrounding areas unable to resist lure of dams, lakes despite ban on swimming.

HARIPUR: With no respite in weather or power outages, everyone is looking for a way out; the old, the young, large families and groups of young men.

Summer retreats hinge on the three Ls – location, location and location. Haripur meets the criteria perfectly as people in and around the district can visit nearby reservoirs and other water bodies to dive in and cool off.

Khanpur dam and its canals, Tarbela dam and Rangeela water channel are all within reach and people make the most of it on the weekend and public holidays. Taking a dip to stave off the suffocating heat also means defying the ban put in place by the local administration every year under Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code to avoid incidents of drowning.



This year too, the district administration of Haripur has prohibited bathing and swimming in and around Khanpur and Tarbela for sixty days. Hundreds of tourists defy that ban in any given week – even in the presence of local police.

“Where should we go? It is too hot to stay at home with constant load-shedding,” said Waqas from Wah Cantt. “I would rather die in the water than roast at home.”

Khalid, a businessman in his 50s from Khanpur town, admits at least a dozen swimmers die in the plunge pool and main reservoir of Khanpur every year but he still visits the dam for a dip every summer – since the 90s. He told The Express Tribune it is only possible to follow the law when the state has fulfilled its duties, has provided uninterrupted power and sufficient water to every house.

“How can they force us to suffer this heat with no respite?” said Khalid. “I bring my family (to Khanpur dam) regularly to relax in the cool breeze and water.”

Similarly, picnickers make their way to Tarbela Lake where water levels continue to rise due to melting snow in the northern areas.

“Men and women go there and enjoy the water without a care for their lives; they (the government) must develop these areas into picnic spots and make certain parts safe for swimming,” said government employee Saqib Khan. The revenue from such places can run into millions, he added.

He suggested providing picnickers with adequate safety measures like life jackets which will help control the rate of drowning in the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2014.