HARIPUR, Aug 30: Most of the affected families of Afghan camps inundated when the Tarbela Lake water swelled were shifted temporarily to the incomplete building of district headquarters hospital on Dhenda road on Wednesday, sources told Dawn.

Over 700 mud houses were inundated by the Tarbela lake water when it swelled to the Afghan shanties near the Panian, Baso Maira and Khalabat township on Tuesday night.

These refugees were settled on Water and Power Development Authority’s land along the lake when their country was attacked by the USSR.

The settlers of the camps No.12, 16 and 20 had according to sources encroached upon the land close to banks of the lake, which resulted in inundation of their houses when Wapda decided to increase water level at the reservoir by about two feet.

The DPs whose houses had been submerged by the lake water or partially damaged were, temporarily, shifted to the DHQ hospital building and some other places owned by the government.

Official sources expressed the fear that if the water table kept rising the Afghan camps would have to be vacated.

District Nazim Dr Raja Amir Zaman has asked the Tarbela Dam authorities not to store more water as it would create problems for the district in resettling the Afghans and might cause damage in the nearby areas.