Hub Dam may collapse due to high water pressure, warns WAPDA

The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) on Friday warned that the walls of the Hub Dam, which is filled to its maximum capacity due to recent torrential rains, were close to being breached as massive pressure was being exerted on them.

The dam has not been repaired for many years and if the issue is not addressed immediately, the dam might collapse, warned a senior official of the WAPDA.

The Hub Dam water reservoir meets 20% of Karachi's and 100% of Hub's water needs. WAPDA Chief Engineer Muhammad Ehteshamul Haq has said the water is enough to meet the needs of Karachi and Hub for the next three years.

It is the third-largest water reservoir in the country and plans to generate electricity from it have been stalled since the 18th Amendment.

Last week, the water level in Hub Dam, which supplies drinking water to Karachi and covers the water needs of several areas in Balochistan, had crossed the 339-foot mark and filled to maximum capacity for the first time in 13 years.

The water level had risen rapidly due to the recent spell of torrential rains in Sindh. The excess water has begun to flow out from the spillways and into the sea near Mubarak Village.