ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The spillways of Simly Dam were opened on Tuesday night to discharge excess water and maintain the level in the reservoir at a comfortable position keeping in view the in-flow from the catchment areas because of heavy rains.

The chief resident engineer (CRE) of Wapda, Rana Javed Ali, working with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to monitor the Simly reservoir, said the spillway gates were opened after the water level reached 2,300 feet above sea level and continued to rise.

“The optimum level of the reservoir is 2,305 feet but after consulting the Met Office, which provided information about the weather condition in the catchment area of Simly Dam, indicating more and increased in-flow of water in the reservoir, it was decided to open the spillway gates,” Rana Javed told Dawn.

He said all the inhabited areas along river Soan downstream were informed well in advance right upto Sihala police station and Humak Model Town.

However, he added, the water discharge from Simly reservoir was managed in a controlled manner and there was no threat of the river over flowing.

“We started by opening the gates to two feet in the beginning and gradually increased the out-flow. The maximum we opened the gates of the spill ways were upto four feet only which is not a very big discharge of water,” he said. The spillway gates were closed on Wednesday at around 10pm and the reservoir level stood at 2,301.5 feet above sea level at that time with a steady in-flow of water continuing. However, as it did not rain the whole day in Murree and over the catchment area of Simly reservoir, the in-flow of water has already started showing decrease, he added.

The situation in Rawal Dam remained well under control and the reservoir level raised only by about five feet following the heavy rains over the last four days.

The Superintending Engineer (SE), Javed Afzal, said the Rawal Dam reservoir has a maximum level of 1,752 above sea level and before the current rains started the reservoir level stood at 1,744 feet above sea level. On Wednesday at mid-day the Rawal Dam reservoir level was recorded at 1748.5 feet. “This could be because of low rains in the catchment area of Rawal Dam. But the big factor is that the surface area of Rawal Dam is much bigger than the Simly reservoir which is in a deep bowl shape.

He said an increase in Rawal Dam reservoir was substantial and more water was still trickling down from the catchment areas, which may result in a slight increase in the level over the next 24 hours.