Authorities at the Karnaphuli Hydroelectric Power Station will partially open all 16 spillway gates of the Kaptai Dam on Saturday to release water as the level of Kaptai Lake continues to rise following heavy rainfall.
According to a notice issued on Thursday night by Mahmud Hasan, Manager (Superintending Engineer) of the Karnaphuli Hydroelectric Power Station, the move is aimed at managing upstream and downstream water flow and reducing the risk of flooding.
The notice said the water level in Kaptai Lake was recorded at 103.91 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL) at 7:00pm on Thursday, compared with the lake's maximum storage capacity of 109 feet MSL. Continuous heavy rain across the catchment area has significantly increased inflows, causing the water level to rise rapidly.
The authorities said all 16 spillway gates may be opened by six inches each at any time after 11:00am on Saturday. The initial release is expected to discharge around 9,000 cusecs of water into the Karnaphuli River.
Mahmud Hasan said officials were monitoring the lake's water level, upstream inflows and rainfall around the clock.
"Depending on changes in the situation, the timing of the spillway opening may be advanced or delayed. If inflows increase further, the gates will be opened wider in phases to release more water," he said.
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