Shawdesh desk:

The authorities on Sunday morning opened the 16 spillway gates of the Kaptai Hydropower Plant as water levels of the Kaptai Lake reached above the danger level.

Earlier on Saturday, the water level had risen to 108 ft above Mean Sea Level, indicating the danger mark.

ATM Abduzzaher, manager of the Kaptai Hydropower Plant, confirmed the matter to UNB saying that they had already opened the gates by 6 inches each at 8:10am on Sunday to release water.

This decision to unlock the gates were taken after monitoring water levels, which increased rapidly due to heavy rainfall over the previous four days, leading to flash floods in the upstream areas.

Although there was no rainfall in the last two days around Kaptai Lake and the surrounding upazilas, the water level in the lake continued to rise hourly, driven by the earlier downpours and runoff from the hills.

The release of water through the spillway gates is expected to discharge approximately 9,000 cubic feet per second of water. Depending on how the situation evolves, the plant may increase the gate openings to manage the lake’s water levels effectively.

Engineers at the power plant explained that Kaptai Lake’s maximum water-holding capacity is 109 ft MSL, with 108 ft being the threshold for the danger level.

By Saturday afternoon, the lake’s water level had neared this critical point, necessitating the controlled release of water to prevent potential flooding in the upstream and downstream regions.

Currently, the hydropower plant is operating its five units, generating electricity by discharging 32,000 cubic feet per second of water into the River Karnaphuli. The increase in water release is expected to raise the water level in the River Karnaphuli as well.