Hunza lake expected to spill by May 28

The Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Retired Lt General Nadeem Ahmed said water outflow from the Hunza lake is expected to spill over on May 28.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority, 2050 cusecs water is entering the lake due to melting glaciers while the water release is 197 cusecs.

Landslides are also expected as the water level in the lake has increased to 3.1 feet in the last 24 hours.

The Hunza Deputy Commissioner Zafar Waqar Taj said that lake water had inundated low-lying areas and the rate of increase in the lake’s water level had been steady. People from the 32 flooded villages have been evacuated and are not allowed to go back. All downstream villages have been evacuated.

The government of Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa province has been asked by Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority to prepare for a possible emergency in the districts of Shangla, Mansehra, Kala Dhaka and Kohistan, downstream from the Hunza Nagar district.

The region is under threat from flooding from a lake that formed after a landslide. Villages in Hunza-Nagar are reported to have been flooded. According to the FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance NGO operating in the area, villages in the Kohistan district are under threat, with some 30,000 to 50,000 people possibly vulnerable. The district has a scattered population of about 500,000, according to official figures.

Meanwhile, a medical team sent by the Punjab government is also arriving in Hunza today, while air service stands operational to provide relief goods and food to the affectees.

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Downstream villages evacuated as Attabad water level rises

HUNZA: Authorities have evacuated more downstream villages as water level in the Attabad lake continues to rise and a breach seems imminent.

Different organisations involved in monitoring the lake have been providing contradictory figures regarding the top difference between the spillway and water level in the lake.

However, the administration of Hunza Nagar claimed there is a difference of 11 feet.

Officials said the water will be spilling out of the lake in another three to four days at a level of 210 cusecs. Adding to this, glaciers are expected to melt due to hot weather.

Meanwhile, residents of Hunza nagar, Gilgit, Diamirand Chalas have been shifted to safer places.

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A LANDSLIDE…AND NEW LAKE IN HUNZA

But not a nice one…a huge potentially unstable one that is growing daily after a major landslide, just 10km north of the flying site in Karimabad. Miracuously, only 19 people have been reported dead, but for them and their village this is a major disaster…look at the precariousness of the situation at http://pamirtimes.net/

It appears the lake has another 82 vertical metres to grow before the spillage point…and if the new dam wall is unstable it will be a huge volume of water that could engulf the valley down stream.Already villages are becoming submerged in the new lake. I really feel for the people of Hunza, and hope the water can be released before it becomes much higher.
and this is it coming down onto the KKH…photo first published by PAMIR TIMES…and found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/2010/01/100129_hunza_landslide_pic_rh.shtml along with many others…the dam wall looks alot more than 83m to me,knowing how big the terrain really is…and there was a village up there…this is so bad.

the dam wall is more clearly seen from the sky. The rubble is lying along the valley,creating a more stable dam i would guess, and less likely to erode quickly once the water starts flowing again,although that stuff the dam is made off is probably fine sand at best, maybe even ‘talcum powder’, plus massive rocks. But at least the height of the dam doesnt look so monstous from the air…phew.

Lets hope the stuff still hanging stays put for a while

Houses in the village of Shishket are slowly being submerged…this is the village of Manzoors wife (she is fleetingly seen in Birdman )…must be worrying.

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PUNJAB - HISTORY

The land of 5-rivers, population-wise the largest, and once known as the granary of east, the Punjab is the lifeline of Pakistan.
To the north of the Punjab is the NWFP (North West Frontier Province) and the Federal capital area of Islamabad. To the north east is the Azad Kashmir. To its east and south is India (Indian Punjab & Rajesthan). To the south west is the province of Sind. To the west is Baluchistan Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
The province is predominantly on level plain. There are, however, some mountainous and hilly areas in the northwest and extreme southwest. There is also a plateau adjacent to the mountains known as the Potohar plateau and a desert belt in the south eastern part known as Cholistan.
All the major rivers of the country namely Indus, Jhelum, Chanab, Ravi, & Sutlaj flow through this province. They originate from the Himalayas and pass from north west to south west. They are primeval in nature and the volume of water increases in summer after monsoon rains, resulting sometimes in floods.
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan. According to 1998 census, the population of the Province is 7,25,85,000. The population density is 353 persons per square kilometer as compared to the national figure of 164. It contains several major cities of the country: Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan and Gujranwala.

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PUNJAB - ECONOMY

Punjab economy is mainly agricultural, although industry makes a substantial contribution.
The province is playing a leading role in agricultural production. It contributes about 68% to annual food grain production in the country. 51 million acres is cultivated and another 9.05 million acres are lying as cultivable waste in different parts of the province.
Cotton and rice are important crops. They are the cash crops that contribute substantially to the national exchequer. Attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture has shifted the focus of the strategies towards small and medium farming, stress on barani areas, farms-to-market roads, electrification for tube-wells and control of water logging and salinity.
Punjab has also more than 48 thousand industrial units. The small and cottage industries are in abundance. There are 39,033 small and cottage industrial units. The number of textile units is 11,820. The ginning industries are 6,778. There are 6,355 units for processing of agricultural raw materials including food and feed industries.
Lahore and Gujranwala Divisions have the largest concentration of small light engineering units. The district of Sialkot excels in sports goods, surgical instruments and cutlery goods.
Punjab is also a mineral rich province with extensive mineral deposits of coal, rock-salt, dolomite, gypsum, silica-sand. The Punjab Mineral Development Corporation is running over a dozen economically viable projects.

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PEOPLE OF PUNJAB

Because of its strategic location in the Indian sub-continent, wave after wave of migrants poured into the area and settled on its fertile lands and today, although originally belonging to the Aryan stock, the people of Punjab are descendants of the Iranians, Turks, Afghans and Arabs who came individually or in groups.

The people of Punjab ethnically belong to a pluralistic pattern of life. But they have a common identity. They have one common faith islam and they proudly share its glorious traditions in their thought and conduct. In their religious sensibility, in folklore, in regional and domestic culture and in their hopes and aspirations the people have a common identity.The dialects spoken in different regions of the land have a common vocabulary and a shared heritage. The people of Punjab have also a shared spiritual experience which has been disseminated by Tassawwaf and can be witnessed on the occasion of the remembrance-fairs held on the Urs of great Sufi Saints.

The people mutually share a living tradition of values. Their traditional hospitality and love for strangers is an obvious feature of their character and behaviour. They are loving people and know the courteous way of returning love to others.

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FAIRS AND FESTIVALS OF PUNJAB

The culture of Punjab derives its basis from the institution of sufi saints. The sufi saints spread Islam and preached and lived the Muslim way of life. People have the funs and festivities to commemorate these traditions. The fairs and festivals of Punjab reflect the entire gamut of its folk life and cultural traditions. These mainly fall in three categories consisting of (i) religious & seasonal fairs/festivals, (ii) devotional fairs or Urs and (iii) industrial and commercial fairs.

Religious fairs are held on special days of Islamic significance like Muharram, Eid Milad-un-Nabi, Eid-ul-Fithr, Eid-ul-Azha and Shab-e-Brat. The main activities on these special occasions are confined to congregational prayers and rituals. Melas are also held to mark these occasions.
The fairs held at the shrines of Sufi saints are called Urs. They generally mark the death anniversary of the saint. On these occasions devotees assemble in large numbers and pay homage to the memory of the saint. Soul inspiring music is played and devotees dance in ecstasy. The music on these occasions is essentially folk and appealing. It forms a part of the folk music through mystic messages. The most important Urs are: Urs of Data Ganj Bukhsh at Lahore, Urs of Hazrat Mian Mir at Lahore, Urs of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar at Pakpattan, Urs of Hazrat Bahaudin Zakria at Multan, Urs of Sakhi Sarwar Sultan at Dera Ghazi Khan, Urs of Shah Hussain at Lahore, Urs of Hazrat Bullehe Shah at Kasur and Urs of Hazrat Imam Bari (Bari Shah Latif) at Rawalpindi-Islamabad.
A big fair is organized at Jandiala Sher Khan in district Sheikhupura on the Mausoleum of Syed Waris Shah who is the most loved Sufi poet of Punjab due to his work known as Heer Ranjha.
Exhibitions and Annual Horse Shows in all Districts and National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore are held with the official patronage. National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore is the biggest festival where sports, exhibitions, and livestock competitions are held. It not only encourages and patronizes agricultural products and livestock through the exhibitions of agricultural products and cattle but is also a colorful documentary on the rich cultural heritage of the Province with its strong rural roots.

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PUNJAB - ARTS AND CRAFTS

Since ancient times the weavers of the region have produced colourful fabrics of silk and cotton. The hand-woven cotton cloth like khaddar of Kamalia, are popular. The cloth woven on handlooms is either block printed or beautifully embroidered. Multan is famous for beautiful hand-woven bed covers.

The crafts in the Punjab are of two types: the crafts produced in the rural areas and the royal crafts which flourished in the urban centers particularly in Lahore. The former include cotton textiles, basketry, embroidery etc. while the latter are tile and woodwork skills, ivory, silver and gold work, naqqashi and architectural crafts.

Hand knotted carpets of fine quality are made in Punjab since the Mughal period. Emperor Akbar in the 15th century established the first factory in Lahore. While carpets were made for the rich, rough rugs (known as namdas) were made by the common people for their own use. Lahore is the center of hand-made carpets.

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PUNJAB FOLKLORE

The folk heritage of the Punjab is the traditional urge of thousands of years of its history. While Urdu is the official language of the Province, there are a number of local dialects through which the people communicate. These include Punjabi, Pothohari, Seraiki, Jatki and Jangli. The songs, ballads, epics and romances are generally written and sung in these dialects.

There are a number of folk tales which are popular in different parts of Punjab. These are the folk tales of Mirza Sahiban, Saiful Maluk, Yousuf Zulaikhan, Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahinwal, Dulla Bhatti, Poran Bhughat, and Sassi Punnu.
The mystic folk songs include the Kafees of Khwaja Farid in Seraiki, Punjabi and Shalooks by Baba Farid Shakar Ganj. They also include baits, dohras, loris, Sehra, and Jugni,
The most famous of the romantic love songs are Mayhiahand Dhamaal, Jhoomar, Bhangra and Luddi. Punjabi romantic dances include Giddha, Dhola and Summin.

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PUNJAB MUSIC

For the popular taste, however, light music, particularlyGhazals and folk songs, which have an appeal of their own, the names of Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali, Nur Jehan, Malika Pukhraj , Farida Khanum and Roshen Ara Begum are well-known Folk songs and dances of the Punjab reflect a wide range of moods: the rains, sowing and harvesting seasons. Luddi, Jhoomer, Bhangrah and Sammin depict the joy of living. Love legends of Hir Ranjha, Mirza Sahiban, Sohni Mahenwal and Saiful Muluk are sung in different styles

Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.

Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.

Classical music forms are an important part of the cultural wealth of the Punjab. The Muslim musicians have contributed a large number of ragas to the repository of classical music.

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