Mirpur: Due to rising water levels in Mangla Dam, several houses in Kakra Potha Bansi village located along the dam’s banks have collapsed as a result of underground soil changes. To assess the extent of the damage, General Manager (GM) WAPDA Mangla, Fakhar Jahan, along with his team and officers of the district administration, visited the affected site, inspected the damaged areas, and met with local residents. He also attended a large gathering of the affected people and responded to their concerns.
According to details, GM WAPDA Fakhar Jahan, accompanied by Additional Deputy Commissioner General (ADC-G) Mirpur Raja Umar Tariq Khan and other officials, carried out a comprehensive survey of the affected locations in Kakra Potha Bansi. The local people and victims briefed the visiting team about the scale of the losses. Following the inspection, a detailed meeting was held with a large number of residents, during which the locals expressed serious reservations over the slow response of WAPDA regarding relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Colonel (Retd) Muhammad Maroof Khan, briefed the WAPDA officials about the situation, stating that 27 houses had collapsed and large portions of the village land had also caved in. He said similar damages were being observed in nearby settlements and called for an urgent geological survey to assess the underlying causes.
He further informed that several multi-million-rupee residences in Kakra Potha Bansi had been destroyed, leaving many families homeless. However, he lamented that no immediate relief had yet been provided by WAPDA. Maroof Khan emphasized that the people of Mirpur had made immense sacrifices during the construction and later the raising of Mangla Dam, sacrifices that have contributed significantly to Pakistan’s energy generation and agricultural prosperity. He urged WAPDA to recognize these sacrifices and provide immediate assistance and compensation to the affected families.
Local residents also shared that they had repeatedly informed the Commissioner of Mirpur Division and the Commissioner for Mangla Dam Affairs about their concerns, and expressed gratitude to the Commissioner for conveying their situation to WAPDA authorities.