HATTIAN BALA, Feb 23: A 2.2km spillway built at Hattian Bala Lake stands operational and is discharging 10 cusec feet of water daily. This was stated by Commander Task Force Lt-Col Naseem Khan during a briefing to a group of Islamabad-based journalists taken to the site by the Federal Relief Commission.

The lake was formed as a result of landslides after the Oct 8 earthquake in 2005.

Giving details about the lake, he said heavy landslides had created two portions of the lake. One is called Bani Hafiz Nullah and the second Kurli Nulla.

He said construction work on the first spillway at Bani Hafiz Nulla had been completed and the second spillway would be completed at Kurli Nullah shortly.

He said Rs60 million had been allocated for the project and Rs20 million more are being spent on study and feasibility report.

He said that under the prime minister’s directives, the task force had started its work on the first portion of the lake to discharge the water which would save population residing along the Jhelum river.

He said that to remove the stones, the FWO would construct 2.4-km road over Kurli Nullah.

The commander said the Frontier Works Organisation would complete the project within the stipulated time.

He said due to the landslide, 1,500 houses had been destroyed in Ludia-Abad village of Hattian Bala killing 560 people. He said due to the severity of the landslide, now 90 per cent of the villagers had been evacuated.

Earlier, Camp Commander Chakar Area Lt-Col Iftikhar told the newsmen that first instalment for reconstruction of 17,605 houses destroyed in Chakar had been paid to the survivors in four union councils of the area.