Kaptai Lake


Kaptai Lake is the largest lake in Bangladesh. It is located in the Kaptai Upazila under Rangamati District of Chittagong Division. The lake was created as a result of building the Kaptai Dam on the Karnaphuli River, as part of the Karnaphuli Hydro-electric project. The Kaptai Lake's average depth is and maximum depth is.

History

Construction of the reservoir for the hydro-electric plant began in 1956 by the Government of East Pakistan. As a result, 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 long spillway containing 16 gates. Through the spillway 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, of the Government-owned forest, and 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.

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