<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CBASHAR%7E1.KHA%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CBASHAR%7E1.KHA%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CBASHAR%7E1.KHA%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><style> </style> Members from Islamabad: Asad Mehmood Sheikh, Ali Ahmed Sarwar, Basharat Ullah Khan<o:p></o:p>
Members Joined From Gilgit & Hunza: Mr. Farhad (A Civil Engineer working on the assessment of Potential Disaster with the local authorities & FOCUS), Mr. Farhan (A friend from mining industry), Mr. Afsar Jan (A resident of Ayeenabad whose land & home has submerged in the lake, I will be uploading his Interview)<o:p></o:p>
Destination: Gojal Lake {Ayeenabad, Sishkut, Ata Abad}, Karimabad, Nagar, Hoper Valley, Nultar, Gilgit<o:p></o:p>
Total Time: 48 Hrs<o:p></o:p>
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-Islamabad to Gilgit By Air-<o:p></o:p>
-Gilgit to Karimabad, Ata Abad By Jeep-<o:p></o:p>
-Ata Abad to Ayeenabad By Ship-<o:p></o:p>
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Dear All,
I am back from the disaster site, size of the land slide is humongous and huge boulders mixed with glaciated black clay has blocked the river flow. The lake size itself was huge and it has the potential to double its current water capacity before the water flow starts from the channel which is being prepared. Yes, the authorities were too slow to respond to this huge disaster which now has a potential to wash away everything which is 200 feet above the old River Hunza water level till Gilgit. Since all of the Bridges constructed on KKH are on narrowest passes, so the water current and height would be even higher on the bridges to wash them away. <o:p></o:p>
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Our Information source Mr. Farhad, a Civil Engineer who was working on the estimates on the rise of water level in valleys on the downstream and marking the water level points (in case the natural barrier brakes from the bottom). Other Source of information was a team of Agha Khan Foundation who travelled with us on the same plane we took from Islamabad to Gilgit & locals of Ata Abad, Ayeenabad and Gulmit. Another international Team reached Gilgit today (as per Farhad they were probably from IMF, PamirTimes would have exact update on this) & we have heard that National Geographic is also reaching Gilgit tomorrow. <o:p></o:p>
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We have also taken pictures of the LAKE, Ata Abad Slide & valleys on the way & I will post the same once they are uploaded in my machine from memory card and re-sized for posting. Hopefully from tomorrow onwards.<o:p></o:p>