4 homes destroyed, 40 partially damaged in lake outburst

Two lake outbursts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Diamer's Tangir Valley have resulted in the complete destruction of four homes and around 40 homes partially damaged, reported Dawn.

According to locals, an avalanche suddenly fell in the Gichhar and Labar lakes on Saturday morning, causing the outburst.

The high discharge of water from the lakes caused flooding in nullahs, resulting in a disaster downstream.

However, no loss of life was reported, as per the officials, reported Dawn.

Under the supervision of Diamer Deputy Commissioner Fayyaz Ahmed, the district administration delivered relief items including food, water, coats, blankets, tents, and other essential goods to the affected people.

Almost all areas in GB have seen intense cold weather throughout the past week with continuous snowfall and below 0°C temperatures.

According to the Met Department, the temperature in Astore was -6°C and -5°C in Skardu on Saturday.

Meanwhile, as climate change affects the ecosystem, the threat of lake outbursts in GB has heightened in the recent past as glaciers in the region were melting faster than before, reported Dawn.

Glaciers in the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, and Karakoram mountain ranges have melted rapidly, creating thousands of glacial lakes in the country's northern areas.

In May 2021, a lake outburst from the Shisper Glacier swept away Hunza's iconic Hassanabad bridge on the Karakoram Highway.
The construction of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam in Pakistan, the largest roller compact concrete dam in the world on the river Indus has alarmed the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan, once again raising the issue of environmental degradation, according to a report by the International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS).

The report says that Pakistan's big dam model has come under the scanner in view of the recent floods in the country. "The country needs to look for alternative models which could be both economically viable as well environmentally safe and do not cause as much displacement and destitution."

The dam is located in a highly seismic zone and thus is a source of great concern for the citizens as they will have to face the consequences of its construction while its benefits will go to the people living in Punjab and Sindh, the report said.

Though Islamabad has been pushing for the dam's development, the recent floods in Pakistan have created a need to review the project and to construct it in a more scientific way that minimizes its adverse effects like loss of livelihood.