Shishper Glacier Surge and Lake Formation: GBDMA finalised contingency plan to meet any eventuality

GILGIT: Commander FCNA Maj Gen Ehsan Mehmood Khan, Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan Capt. (R) Khuram Aga and heads of different departments paid the aerial visit of Shishper glacier along with community representatives to assess the emerging situation at the surging Hassanabad glacier.

Addressing a gathering of the at-risk community at Hassanabad, they assured their full support in case of any untoward incident.

The Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan, on the request of the community representatives, issued directives to concerned departments to revisit mitigation measures to safeguard properties of the inhabitants. He directed the DDMA Hunza to carryout assessment of houses and means of livelihood of at-risk community of Hassanabad Hunza.

Chief Secretary informed that as per contingency plan, the GB Government has managed stocking of medicines, lifesaving drugs, 40,000 wheat bags to meet the emerging food crises in the wake of any disaster. The Government has taken all measures to safeguard the interest of the local community, he added.

The community representatives thanked Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan, Commander FCNA and DG GBDMA for taking timely actions to mitigate the risk of disaster.

According to GBDMA, a team of experts of different national level organizations were constituted in November 2018 to monitor movement of the glacier and its affects through satellite and ground visits. Currently, all the relevant provincial and national organizations, including Pakistan Army, are closely monitoring the situation. Various experts, including Army Engineers and glaciologist, have visited the site and submitted their recommendations to GBDMA.

According to experts blasting/leakage through any mean is not possible due to surging nature of the glacier and its vast width, GBDMA report mentioned. After going through the reports, experts and GBDMA have concluded three possible scenarios in the wake of over-topping and further surging of glacier towards the settlements.

 Scenario 1: Under the first scenario it is expected that the dammed water will release gradually through crevices and glacier may also melt gradually resulting in normal to slightly above normal discharge of water. The same situation will not create any hazard to population and installations down the stream.

 Under Scenario 2 and Scenario 3 medium to heavy discharge is expected which depends on weather conditions. Sudden rise in temperature during June and July may result in rapid melting of glacier and over-topping of dammed water. This may present a hazardous situation, which can affect population and installations down the stream.

Based on these recommendations, the GB Government has been undertaking the following proactive measures.

1. GBDMA, DDMA Hunza and AKAH are in close contact with relevant stakeholders and community.
2. Mock exercises are being carried out with the population.
3. Safe routes for evacuation and safe havens have been identified to relocate the population in case of high discharge during summer season.
4. For provision of food and non-food items, in case of scenario 2 and 3, GBDMA, AKAH and Al-Khidmat Foundation are updating their stocks to manage any untoward situation in a coordinated manner.
5. Protective work to safeguard public and private properties is underway and will be completed at given time frame. On the recommendations of GBDMA, Rs. 31.500 million (Rs. 6.500 million to W&P & Rs.25.000 million to Works Department) has already been released to carry out protective works on urgent nature.
6. Arrangement to safeguard the irrigation channels and water supplies to be undertaken by relevant organizations.
7. Roads network to upper parts will remain linked through alternate identified route via SAS Valley Nagar.
8. NHA and FWO will link KKH within a weeks’ time if hit by heavy discharge. Alternate bridge has been arranged by NHA which will be shifted to the site shortly, while alternate route will be maintained by GB PWD.
9. Further, to reduce the risk, Food Department is arranging 4 to 5 months’ stock at Central Hunza, Upper Hunza and Upper Nagar.
10. Health Department is taking measures for stocking of medicines and lifesaving drugs.
11. Teams of all relevant departments have completed their surveys to safeguard various installations and to take further mitigation and safety measures.
12. GBDMA has communicated role and responsibility of all relevant Government Organizations and NGOs well on time and progress is also being monitored at various levels regularly.

To review the situation and to put the actions on fast track a meeting was convened by Commander FCNA Gilgit on 13th February 2019 with Chief Secretary GB, DG GBDMA and other heads of Departments, Army Engineers and NGOs. In the meeting the mitigation measures were reviewed, and timelines were fixed to undertake various actions.