Lake-summer

Attabad Lake, Gojal Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan:-

 

By;-

Dr-Rasheed Kazmi Lady Anne Mare Anne Hussain +92-300-9113675

 

Attabad Lake, Gojal, also known as Gojal Lake, is a lake in the Gojal Valley of northern Pakistan created in January 2010 by a landslide dam.

 

Location: 19 km East of Hunza, in the remote Hunza River Valley of northern Pakistan, a massive landslide buried the village of Attabad, destroying 26 homes, killing 20 people, and damming up the Hunza River and a newly formed Attabad lake was created..

 

Formation of Lake: The lake was formed due to a massive landslide at Attabad village in Gilgit-Baltistan, 9 miles (14 km) upstream (east) of Karimabad that occurred on January 4, 2010. All type of traffic on KKH to and from China was disconnected. In next few days, Attabad Lake was converted into a dam with 130-200 m depth and 22 km length. If this dam was left to be further filled, it would have resulted into a “Dam burst scenario” and would have been the worst disaster of the world. In case of the dam burst, the flow of water downhill towards Gilgit would have been so massive that most of the bridges and villages astride river Hunza would have been completely washed away.

 

Disastrous Impact Created: The landslide, causing the formation of Attabad Lake, killed twenty people and blocked the flow of the Hunza River for five months. The lake flooding has displaced 6,000 people from upstream villages, stranded (from land transportation routes) a further 25,000, and inundated over 12 miles (19 km) of the Karakoram Highway. The lake reached 13 miles (21 km) long and over 100 metres in depth by the first week of June 2010 when it began flowing over the landslide dam, completely submerging lower Shishkat and partly flooding Gulmit. The subdivision of Gojal has the greatest number of flooded buildings, over 170 houses and 120 shops. The residents also had shortages of food and other items due to the blockage of the Karakoram Highway.[7] By June 4 water outflow from the lake had increased to 3,700 cu ft/s (100 m3/s).

 

Situation After the Disastrous Landslide: As a result of the damming of Hunza River, five villages north of the barrier were flooded. One village, Ayeenabad, was completely submerged. Major portions of another village, Shishkat, was also submerged. Around 40% of the village of Gulmit, which also serves as the headquarter of Gojal Valley, was also submerged. Significant portions of land in Hussain and Ghulkin villages of Gojal also got submerged as a result of the surging lake. The entire population of Gojal valley, up to 25000 individuals, were affected as a result of the lake, due to blockade of road access, difficulties in reaching to markets, loss of land, houses and agricultural products. Attabad has been visited by current and former Prime Ministers Yousuf Raza Gillani and Nawaz Sharif, and by the Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Sharif announced Rs100 million of aid for the victims from the Punjab government and Rs0.5 million for the relatives of those who died in the landslide. Areas downstream from the lake remained on alert despite some officials believing that a major flood scenario was less likely as the river began flowing over the landslide dam during the first week of June 2010. Many people have been evacuated to 195 relief camps. Two hospitals downstream, the Kashrote Eye Vision Hospital and the Aga Khan Health Service, evacuated both their staff and equipment. Some officials had incorrectly predicted that as soon as the lake began flowing over the landslide dam, a 60 feet (18 m) wave would hit the areas immediately downstream. As of 14 June 2010, the water level continued to rise. DawnNews reported that " 242 houses, 135 shops, four hotels, two schools, four factories and several hundred acres of agricultural land" had been flooded, and that villagers were receiving food and school fee subsidies. They reported that 25 kilometres of the Karakoram Highway and six bridges were destroyed. A special documentary on this issue Hunza Kahani by Waqar Ahmed Malik was on aired at Express news. The spillway of the lake was blasted first on March 27, 2012 and then on May 15, 2012. It caused a reduction in its water level by at least 33 ft as performed by Frontier Works Organization.

 

Disastrous Impact on Ethnicity: The Gojal Valley, which is worst affected as a result of this lake, is home to three rare ethnic groups, namely Wakhi (80%), Burushaski (18%) and Domaki (2%). The entire population of Domaki speakers, a very tiny minority and historically marginalized community, was displaced from their village (Shishkat). The Wakhi and Burushaski speaking minority ethnic groups have also been affected severely as a result of the disaster.

 

FWO - Frontier Works Organisation Achievements: Ideas proposed to lower water level to reduce the risk of another flood.

 

First Suggestion by Chinese: Trench mortar technique to deepen the spillway by 30 meter with the cost of 2.4 billion rupees and many years were required to complete it.

Second Suggestion: Reduction of water through syphon method in which a number of pipes were to be used to drain out the water but this technique was also not suitable due to nature of terrain / mountains.

 

Third Suggestion by FWO: Reduction of water by 30 m through controlled blasting costing only Rs. 500 million. Rock blasting and earthwork was estimated 28 million cubic feet. Oct to May was suitable to reduce the water as in other months, volume and speed (current) of the water would not permit any type of work.

 

Since none of the International Engineers firms were ready to take the contract considering high investments and danger to human life; Planning Commission awarded the contract of lowering the water level by 30 m, to FWO. During the low flow season from Oct 2011 to May 2012, FWO was successful in lowering the lake water by 16 meter, much faster than the estimated time given to Planning Division. Till date FWO has sacrificed three precious lives including one Colonel for the accomplishment of his sacred task but to the positive side 7 kilometres of Karakoram Highway, entire Shishkat Bridge, 466 hectares of land and 327 buildings have been reclaimed as a result of lowering of water level.

 

Events:

 

Jan 2010:A huge landslide led to formation of Attabad Lake. Attabad Lake was converted into a dam with 130-200 m depth and 22 km length.

 

Jan 2010: Government of Pakistan asked Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) to control the situation. FWO mobilized its maximum resources to deal with this natural disaster. It constructed spillway immediately to curtail further storage of water into the lake, thus reducing the overall damage by 50%.

 

Jan 2010: Government of Pakistan asked Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) to control the situation. FWO mobilized its maximum resources to deal with this natural disaster. It constructed spillway immediately to curtail further storage of water into the lake, thus reducing the overall damage by 50%.

Oct 2010: Planning Commission awards the contract of lowering the water level by 30 m, to FWO.

 

May 2011: A serving colonel (Colonel Mohammad Arif Shaheed) in the Pakistan army on Friday drowned in the Attabad Lake after falling into a muddy spillway while trying to rescue three others stranded in an excavator machine. Colonel Mohammad Arif lost his grip on the rope trying to reach out to an excavator stuck in the middle of muddy spillway. Colonel Arif hailed from Punjab and was serving in the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), the military engineering branch of the Pakistan Army, which is engaged in the expansion of Attabad Lake’s spillway.

 

May 2011: Authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan are considering converting the Attabad lake into a hatchery for breeding a variety of fish. The idea is to breed a variety of fish in the lake, including trout which is a premium breed. A team has been deputed to conduct a survey of the lake and submit recommendations regarding its feasibility.

 

Year 2010 to Year 2013: No efforts by Government to come with a permanent solution to reconstruct the damaged Karakorum Highway (KKH). Ferries transport goods and vehicles from one part of the damaged KKH to the other, charging an ungodly amount of 18,000 PKR for a car, for one way. This is not only expansive for the travelers and tourists but continues to be a constant hitch for the trade between Pakistan and China.

 

May 2013:A joint statement on comprehensive strategic cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is issue; of all one part of which was directed towards enhancing connectivity between China and Pakistan to accelerate work on the Attabad Lake blocking the Karakorum Highway (KKH), carry forward the project of the upgrading of the KKH and the national highway network post-flood rehabilitation project.

 

May 2013:CRBC, a Chinese road construction company, is working on constructing a tunnel from Attabad to Gojal as an alternative to the Karakoram Highway, part of which has submerged after a landslide formed a lake on the Hunza River.

 

The Attabad Lake was formed following a massive landslide in 2010, which buried 20 people beneath it and blocked the flow of River Hunza, creating a natural dam. The water has displaced thousands of people and inundated over 19 kilometres of the Karakoram Highway.

Popular myths surround the formation of several geographical landmarks in Pakistan. The lake at Katasraj, Choa Saidan Shah in Punjab, is said to have formed from the teardrop of Lord Shiva mourning the death of his wife Satti.

 

Ansoo lake in Kaghan is believed to have been created from tears of jealousy shed by Deuo Sufaid, the white giant, when he learnt that Badr Jamal, the fairy princess he was in love with, had chosen to marry Prince Saiful Mulook. Attabad Lake in Hunza, however, was born of less romantic circumstances. In January 2010, a massive landslide blocked the flow of River Hunza, creating a natural dam and burying 20 people beneath it. The rising water displaced thousands of residents and submerged countless villages, fields, orchards a well as a 19-kilometre stretch of the Karakoram Highway (KKH). In 2012, a spillway was created to release a steady flow of water and as the water receded, it revealed the villages that had been buried beneath. It is only now that people have started returning to rebuild their homes and lives.

The KKH is also being rebuilt. A new connection is being carved into the mountains around the lake. The highway begins in Abbotabad, runs through the mountain ranges of Gilgit-Baltistan, crossing over the Chinese border at Khunjerab and into China up to Kashgar. Reaching an elevation of 4,693 metres (15,397 ft), it is the highest paved international highway in the world. During its 20 years of construction, from 1959 to 1979, approximately 810 Pakistanis and 200 Chinese workers lost their lives mostly in landslides and falls.

The reconstruction work is also being done by Chinese companies. Pakistani labourers work under the supervision of Chinese engineers in trying circumstances. The strong, howling gusts of wind often whip up dust, sand and tiny stones that sting the workers’ faces and eyes. They do not have a lot of protective gear other than scarves and sunglasses.

 

Until the connection is restored, the only way to reach the villages of Shishkat, Gulmit, Passu and places onward to the Chinese border is to cross the beautiful, blue lake by boat. Boats ferry people, their belongings and even cars from one side to the other, all through the day. Even the trucks coming from China, carrying material and equipment for the Karakoram Highway construction have to cross the lake on a barge.

It’s easy to see how, once the road is functional, this place will become dotted with food points, restaurants and resorts. Tour guides will narrate the story of how the mountain fell and buried 20 people beneath it. Facts will become a story and the story will become a legend. The 20 people might become 20 suitors coming to win the hand of the princess of Gulmit, whose loud collective wail on finding out that she has already been betrothed, brought down the trembling mountains, while their tears flew into the crater and became a bottomless blue lake. If the tale takes a more contemporary twist, they might become 20 brave village women who encircle the mountain to stop evil corporations mining for the jewels beneath, who blast the mountain anyway and end up burying the women underneath.

But by some miracle, the stone melts and flows past the miners and out of the corporation’s greedy hands, forming a lake of liquid lapis. Whatever form the story takes, they will be remembered. And like Shiva’s sorrow and Deou Sufaid’s heartache, it will perhaps explain why it is that when we see something of great beauty we sometimes feel like crying — while the heart leaps with joy, a tear springs to the eye.

Done