Authorities opened all 16 spillway gates of Kaptai Dam in Rangamati at 8:30pm on Saturday as water in Kaptai Lake rose rapidly. Each gate was opened by six inches, releasing 9,000 cusecs of water per second into the Karnaphuli River. Mahmud Hasan, manager and superintendent engineer of the Karnaphuli Hydroelectric Power Centre, confirmed the development.

At 2pm on Saturday, the lake level stood at 105.64 feet mean sea level, compared with its maximum holding capacity of 109 feet mean sea level. Authorities decided to discharge additional water to keep the situation under control as the level continued to increase.

Five units of the Kaptai hydroelectric plant are currently operating, releasing about 32,000 cusecs per second through electricity generation. Another 9,000 cusecs is being released through the 16 spillway gates. The power centre said there was no reason for alarm, but warned that water levels in the Karnaphuli River may rise and urged residents of low-lying riverside areas in Chattogram to remain cautious. The same 16 gates were opened last month to release excess water.