Kaptai dam gates closed after eight days

The 16 spillway gates of Kaptai Dam in Rangamati were closed on Sunday night (September 6) after the water level in Kaptai Lake fell following eight days of controlled water release.

The gates were shut around 9pm, Kaptai Hydroelectric Power Station officials said.

The gates had been opened by six inches each around 8pm on August 29 after the lake’s water level rose close to the danger mark. The initial release sent around 9,000 cubic feet of water per second into the Karnaphuli River.

As the water level continued to rise, the authorities increased the discharge in phases. From 10am on August 30, all 16 gates were opened to three feet, significantly increasing the flow into the river.

Assistant Engineer Tarek Ahmed said the gates have now been closed, but all five generating units at the power station remain operational.

The five units are currently producing around 222 megawatts of electricity a day, with an additional 32,000 cubic feet of water per second flowing into the Karnaphuli River through the turbines during power generation.

The lake’s water level was recorded at 104.98 metres above mean sea level on Sunday night, compared with its maximum holding level of 109 metres.

Kaptai Hydroelectric Power Station Manager Mahmud Hasan said the lake level had started falling as rainfall decreased, prompting the closure of the gates. Whether they will be reopened will depend on any subsequent rise in the lake’s water level.

The Kaptai Dam was built across the Karnaphuli River in 1960 to generate electricity, creating the artificial Kaptai Lake over an area of about 700 square kilometres.