Location: Hanging Bridge, Kaptai Lake, Rangamati
Local Guide:
Zayeef
+8801790155611
Final year student
Rangamati Science and Technology University
About Kaptai Lake:
Construction of the reservoir for the hydro-electric plant began in 1956 by the Government of East Pakistan.[2] As a result, 54,000 acres (220 km2) of farmland in the Rangamati District went underwater and created the lake. The hydro-electric project was funded by the United States. The project was finished in 1962. International Engineering Company and Utah International Inc. received the contract for construction of the dam. The dam is 670.8 meters long, and 54.7 meters high. The dam has a 745 feet (227 m) long spillway containing 16 gates. Through the spillway 5,250,000 cu ft/s (149,000 m3/s) of water can pass.
The land that went underwater as a result of the dam construction, was 40% of the total arable land in the area. Along with that, 29 square miles (75 km2) of the Government-owned forest, and 234 square miles (610 km2) of other forest land went underwater. About 18,000 families with a total of almost 100 thousand people were also displaced. The palace of the king of the Chakmas was also flooded and is now underwater.