Hunza Valley Impending Water Calamity

Lives of thousands of people in Hunza, Pakistan have been turned upside down due to Hunza Valley impending water calamity.

It happened on 4 January, 2010 and since then the phenomenon that came into being is aggravating the situation day by day. Geologists call it a huge landslide but it has turned lives of thousands of people in Hunza, Pakistan upside down and left them at the mercy of an impending water calamity.

Along with Allvoices a great deal of information is available on Hunza Valley on dozens of blog sites on internet. According to Allvoices, ‘the Hunza Valley is a mountainous valley in Gilgit in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The Hunza valley is situated to the north of the Hunza River.’

Its main town is Karimabad and the valley is surrounded by Ultar Sar, Rakaposhi, Bojahagur Duanasir II, Ghenta Peak, Hunza Peak, Diran Peak and Bublimating. All peaks are 6,000 metres or higher. Presently the valley is being regarded as a great tourist destination because of its spectacular scenery of the surrounding mountains.

Huge Landslide Creates Artificial Lake

On 4 January 2010 a huge landslide blocked Hunza River path passing through Atta Abad Valley. The water started accumulating. As of today a 36 mile unnatural lake has come into being whose expanse, depth and destructive ability is increasing with the fast rise of water in the lake due to warm weather that is melting the glacier over its head.

When the landslide struck Hunza at least 20 people lost their lives and about 25,000 got stranded. Their numbers are increasing each day. The Express Tribune in its report on 24 April, 2010 titled Hunza Valely Villages Sitting on a Time Bomb stated ‘if the lake breaks it banks, flashfloods could inundate downstream villages, disconnecting Gilgit from the rest of the country.’

This is not the only damage that the landslide has done. It has also blocked the main Karakoram Highway. The rode links China with Pakistan and is considered a vital trade link with that country.

Prime Minister Visits Hunza Valley

On 21 April Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Yousif Raza Gillani visited the disaster hit areas and met the local people and assured them of government’s all out help to ameliorate their suffering. According to The Dawn, the most widely circulated newspaper of Pakistan, visiting the IDP’s camp he said, ‘arrangements have been made in government schools to accommodate about 24,000 displaced villagers. They will be provided food and medical assistance.’ In the same report the Prime minister further said that a Rs15 billion package for Gilgit-Baltistan had been announced but it was delayed because of expenditures on the war on terror.

His words have not appeased many. On 22 April 2010 many people gathered at the rising banks of the lake and started a protest movement against the government. They demanded compensation for the loss of their property and some immediate help to continue with their lives honorably.

Government Criticized for Inaction

Local and international media is hyper critical of the government for not taking proper action at an early time. It has taken five months for the government to react to the situation. Both time and tide have gone unfavourably to the victims of the tragedy.

First they were left at the mercy of nature then despondency on part of those in authority added to their misery. According to ‘The Financial Daily’ ‘The government seems to be acting like a bystander. It has been busy talking and doing nothing in truth. The contract to open the way for the river water has been awarded but contractor did not bring proper equipment to pave the way for the water and is mainly responsible for the disastrous situation.’

A disaster of huge magnitude is knocking at the very doorsteps of the residents of Hunza Valley and areas lying in the water path of the lake in case its banks fail to hold its ever surging water.

Article source: http://www.suite101.com/content/hunza-valley-impending-water-calamity-a240178#ixzz1HBesAfLX

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