GILGIT – A huge surge in the Shiper glacier is posing a big threat to local residents with every passing day, Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) assistant director said on Wednesday.
“The glacier has moved 1,750 metres towards the Hassanabad village in Hunza in the last three months,” Geo TV reported while quoting GBDMA official.
Emergency measures are being taken to mitigate the effects of a possible disaster which may be caused by Shiper Glacier surge and a possible burst of an artificial lake in Hasanabad village.
The 1300 metre wide and 600 feet long Shisper Glacier started to surge in May last year. The unusual surge has blocked water flow from a stream originating in nearby Muchuhur Glacier, which normally falls into Hunza river at Hasanabad, thus forming an artificial lake.
The glacier is moving towards Hunza at a speed of seven metres per day and water level in the dammed lake is also increasing with each passing day, posing a threat to downstream areas.
A portion of an under-construction powerhouse has also been affected by the glacier surge, it added.
The residents of the village were directed to vacate their houses and move to higher altitudes if they hear a siren from a nearby FWO camp.
GBDMA has urged locals to call 05813-920100 for information and avoid travelling to the Shishper glacier.
