KARACHI: The water level of the Hub dam is gradually increasing after the recent rain and was at 289 feet on Wednesday. Engineers at the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) are optimistic that this year’s monsoon may bring enough rains to raise it to over 300 feet after which Karachi could be supplied water from there.

“Before the rains, the Hub dam was at the dead level of 275.25 feet, but it is 289 feet now so things are looking up,” KWSB chief engineer for bulk water supply Sikandar Ali Zardari told Dawn.

Water supply to Karachi of around 100 million gallons a day (MGD) from the Hub dam would be resumed after the level there crosses the 300ft mark. The peak or spill level at the dam is 339 feet and the reservoir capacity happens to be 0.6 million acre feet. Filled to capacity, it can supply water to Karachi for three years.

Also read: Khuhro’s call to build Bhasha dam

“Already there has been a 12 to 14 feet increase in the level of water in the dam and since the monsoon season and rains have only just started there is hope for further increase in the level with more rains to reach the spill level.”

The chief engineer said that this could not happen for a while due to very little rain. “Rains in the 250km radius around the dam, especially on the right side of the Kirthar Mountain Range from where the water can flow downward, contribute to the Hub dam level,” said Mr Zardari.

Besides supplying 100MGD water to Karachi, the Hub dam, after reaching the spill level, also supplies around 33MGD to the Hub area in Balochistan.

Though it is good news to notice the increasing water level in the dam thanks to the rains, looking back there have also been problems here associated with heavy rains. In 2012 and 2013 there was a breach in the Hub canal after which the supply to the city from there had to be suspended until the canal was repaired. It was said that continuous rain falling directly on the canal had resulted in dissolving the earthen canal.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play