Kaptai Dam sluice gates reopened as lake water nears danger level
All 16 gates were opened last night (20 August) to release the water flowing in from upstream.
The sluice gates of the Kaptai Dam have been reopened as the water level in the lake reached dangerously close to its maximum capacity.
All 16 gates were opened last night (20 August) to release the water flowing in from upstream.
Engineer Mahmud Hasan, manager of the Kaptai Karnaphuli Power Station, told The Business Standard that the lake's water level reached 108.35 MSL (Mean Sea Level) last night, nearing its full capacity of 109 MSL.
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"To control potential floods in the lake's upstream areas, the 16 sluice gates were opened by six inches shortly after 8pm. This will release 9,000 cusecs of water per second from the Kaptai Lake into the Karnaphuli River," he said.
Hasan added that the volume of water released would be increased if the lake's water level continues to rise. "An additional 32,000 cusecs of water is also being released into the Karnaphuli River for power generation," he noted.
This is the second time the gates have been opened this month.
The gates were previously opened by six inches on 5 August and were closed on the morning of 12 August when the water level dropped below the danger mark.
