Artificial lakes may flood Kashmir areas
The artificial lakes that shaped as a result of the devastating earthquake that hit Pakistan last year may sink the nearby areas as water level in these lakes is dangerously rising.
The Karli Lake, some 60km from Muzaffarabad and the other near Hattian Bala are a threat to over 50,000 people living in nearby villages including Hafiz Bandi, Bani Hafiz, Sukh Naina, Chakli, Pano Bindi and Saleemia.
In the coming months the ice melting on the high altitude mountains may increase the water level as embankments of these lakes already brimming due to landslides, official sources here say.
“The May end or June are much dangerous as increasing water flow can inundate the near by villages,” said Shahid Rafiq of Chohan Chikar area yesterday, adding that at present the water level was around to 150 ft which was in creasing daily by one foot.
Muhammad Shah, Muhammad Sadiq, Muhammad Hafeez and other Karli area residents said that in some areas landslides were continuing.
Shahid Rafiq said that risk of overflow was increasing as some small streams are also falling in it while heavy rain water can cause high floods in Pano Pindi, Bani Hafiz, Hafiz Bandi and Saleemia villages.
Talking about another artificial lake near Hattian Bala area, the locals say that the water level was increasing mainly in two streams, one coming from Tamber Kot and the other from Ganga Choti that are falling in this lake.
These lakes have become a source of attraction and turned as beautiful resorts. People from far-flung areas are frequently visiting these lakes which are far from the road. The distance from last transport point to the exact lake point is a 25 minute walk as no transport is available to reach there.
The residents of the nearby areas asked the authorities to take necessary steps to avoid likely flooding in these lakes.
Source: The Peninisula Qatar through Internews
Technorati Tags: earthquake, Pakistan, Karli Lake, Muzaffarabad
July 3rd, 2006 at 10:27 am
dear sir
now a days i m designing a project on rehabiltation of agriculture with reference to changing agromet and soil microbiology so the information on emerging lakes provided me some thing more to think
dr salik nawaz
department of mycology and plant pathology
univ of the punjab
lahore