A landslide which triggered on January 4 in Hunza formed a lake due to blockage on Hunza River on Karakoram Highway and submerged a main bridge on the highway. The bridge if destroyed will bring a halt to around Rs 3 billion trade which takes place on this highway with China.
The said bridge has developed cracks and has been closed for all types of traffic cutting Gojal Valley from rest of the country. The lake has already affected Shiskat Village turning it into an island.
An alternate bridge which is under construction will take about two years to complete thus seriously affecting bilateral trade between Pakistan and China.
The depth of the lake has reached to about 198 feet and is increasing by 1.5 feet on daily basis due to inflow of water in the river. According to Frontier Works Organization which maintains Karakoram Highway, the clearance of boulders which fell due to the major land slide will take about 2 months as work is being hampered by frequent rains and snowfall in the area.
If the concerned organization failed to clear the blockade quickly, the lake will gain strength with time and a sudden collapse in the blockade may result in heavy flooding in the lower parts of the country.
Karakoram Highway is the only road link between Pakistan and China and this disaster is likely to have great influence on trade between the two countries.. Besides this, the area also attracts huge number of tourists who will also face difficulties in the season to traverse this area.
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