Breach in Hub Dam Canal
A 150-foot breach near Mang-hopir was created in the Hub canal following heavy rains, people and officials confirmed on Sunday.
The news of the breach brought panic and fear to the people of Surjani Town and Manghopir.
A senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party and chief minister’s focal person for district West Waqar Mehdi said that district administration, police, and irrigation officials were present there.
Officials reported that the Hub Dam, located 56 kilometers from Karachi, reached capacity last week and was overflowing when the water level was recorded at close to 340 feet leading to the opening of the spillway of the reservoir. Since that time, flow to the Hub Dam has been halted to prevent further deterioration.
A senior official, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that the water flow from the breach was still far from the human living area.
He said that right now there is no threat to two neighboring villages—Khamiso Goth and Pathan Goth—since the two high-rise settlements. For this reason, officials had not yet decided to move people to another location, he said.
Mr. Mehdi said that because the rain continued until late in the evening, work to patch the breach had not yet begun. If the villages of Manghopir were threatened, the residents would be transferred to nearby educational facilities, he added.
The DC-West, senior police officers, and irrigation department staff had stopped the flow towards the Hub dam.
Last week, the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) issued a warning to the residents of nearby areas to take additional precautions measures.