Rawal Dam spillways opened as water level reaches brim

ISLAMABAD: The spillways of the Rawal Dam were opened on Monday as the water level surged to the red level in the reservoir.

Rawal Dam authorities in a statement announced the opening of the spillways at 11:00 due to torrential rainfall in the federal capital and adjoining areas.

The Rawal Dam reservoir has a maximum capacity of 1,752 feet water conservation while the present water level was 1,751.9 feet after which it was decided to reopen the spillways. Around 6000 cusecs of water will be discharged from the lake.

Sirens were raised to warn downstream areas about the flow of the water. The dam administration said after opening the spillways, the water level at Soan river will rise and water could overflow from the banks of the stream.

Soan River is a stream of the Pothohar region in North Punjab that drains much of the water in the area. The water level at the reservoir reached its maximum capacity due to the recent monsoon rains in the country.

According to Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), the Water reservoir of Mangla Dam reached its maximum water conservation capacity of 1242 feet at Tarbela Dam had also reached its maximum capacity of 1,550 feet.

The cumulative water in Mangla and Tarbela reservoirs stands at 13.336 million acre-feet (MAF) which is a record for water availability during the last ten years.

Meanwhile, the Hub Dam in the outskirts of Karachi overflowed on last Thursday evening after a spell of heavy rainfall in parts of Sindh and Balochistan.

The dam’s water level increased to its maximum capacity of 340 feet after almost thirteen years after which it overflowed to the sea while passing Mubarak Village. The dam located at the Sindh-Balochistan border is a vital source of water supply to Karachi.