KARACHI, July 19: As water level in the Hub Dam rose further to 312.80 RL (Reservoir Level) on Saturday, the WAPDA officials apprehended flooding in the downstream area, and have warned the people living in villages along the dam’s spillway area to move to safer places.

They have sent an SOS to the Balochistan Government and the City District Government Karachi and have urged the authorities to take preventive measures to save the life and property of those living in the downstream area.

According to an advisory issued by WAPDA, the reservoir level has increased to 312.80 feet by 7pm (Saturday), and it is increasing rapidly.

“As the inflow of water is still continuing in the reservoir, and in case of more inflow and if reservoir level reaches its maximum conservation of 339 feet, the water will start overflowing from the 6,020 feet-long spillway towards the Arabian Sea.

“In consideration of such a situation, all residents of downstream are advised to take precautionary measures and move to safer places, with their belongings and cattlehead,” the Hub dam project’s resident engineer, Inamullah Khan, warned.

The violent flow of rainwater in the dam’s catchment area has made the officials assuming that the water level in the reservoir may touch the dead-storage level i.e. 339 RL, after which there might be flash floods, and splashes in the dam’s spillway, endangering the life and property of the people.

Water level in the reservoir has increased to a record 35 RL since the beginning of the current monsoon. Prior to this, the reservoir had touched its dead-storage level of 276 RL, but with gradual increase in water which on Saturday soared to 312.80 RL, the reservoir registered an unprecedented increase of 14.80 feet in two days rains on Friday and Saturday.

The 30 square mile-long reservoir’s fast-increasing level and the Met office’s forecast of heavy rains not only in the remaining period of July but also in August clearly indicate that the reservoir will shortly attain its full supply level (339 RL) and might also start overflowing from the dam’s spillway, the WAPDA officials said, adding the rainwater was still flowing into the reservoir from its huge catchment area, spread over 3,410 square miles, comprising Dadu district, Kirthar National Park, Saruna, Duraji, Shah Noorani area in Balochistan.

“Such events have compelled us to declare an emergency at the Hub dam’s site and its vicinity where some people reside and are doing farming.

“We have also requested both the city and Balochistan governments to take preventive measures to save life and property of those goth people who are living along the spillway’s downstream area, most of which come in the territory of Balochistan.

“We have also apprised the WAPDA’s water resource management centre at Lahore about the latest situation,” dam’s project engineer said.

However, the city government’s water and sanitation department officials said that after attaining the full supply of water in the reservoir, both the city and Lasbella could draw 25 million gallons of water from the source for three years.

At a time when a dangerous situation had emerged, the Hub dam office is without electricity since Wednesday last and its communication system which operates on a VHF frequency is out of order. Both the facilities are not available there since Wednesday following electric poles and wireless tower dislocated in the wake of dust-storm on Wednesday.

The Hub dam’s construction had begun in 1963 and it was completed in June 1981. It is since then that water supply to both Karachi and Balochistan continued uninterrupted for about 18 years before it went dry in July 1999.