Lake drainage: Water level decreasing in Gojal Valley

PT Report

Gulmit, February 28: Water level in the Gojal portion of dammed Hunza River has decreased by around 18 ft during the last 30 hours. The net decrease in water level has been estimated at around 7 feet, a local person informed. “The water level is going down gradually”, a local person said, while talking to Pamir Times. He said that the speed of lake drainage has decreased but it hasn’t stopped.

Volunteers of the Focus Humanitarian Assistance, an affiliate of the Aga Khan Development Network, are also monitoring the water level in the upstream areas, along with local people and Tehsil officials.

“If the water keeps decreasing by 8 to 10 feet feet more the KKH and market area of Gulmit can resurface”,  a volunteer informed Pamir Times. He said that the reemergence of the market area and KKH will be a psychological and logistic relief for people of the entire valley.

Residents of Shishkat said that the drop in height of the dammed river has led to resurfacing of large swathes of land. “It is good but not sufficient”, a local named Rahim Ullah said. He said that more needs to be done to bring the Karakuram Highway to its original status.

Meanwhile, the wave of water discharged from the dammed Hunza River has crossed the Diamer District without causing any destruction.

Resurfaced houses and trees can be seen in Gulmit, Gojal Valley’s Tehsil Headquarters, after yesterday’s blast at the spillway. Photo: Abdul Hameed

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Pamir Times is the pioneering community news and views portal of Gilgit – Baltistan, Kohistan, Chitral and the surrounding mountain areas. It is a voluntary, not-for-profit, non-partisan and independent venture initiated by the youth.

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