Uttarakhand Avalanche: Researchers Arrive To Inspect Artificial Lake Over Rishiganga

Sonographic equipment from the Indian Navy are being used to measure how much water is contained in the lake to measure the risks in downstream areas

Outlook Web Bureau

Updated on: 20 February 2021 3:31 pm

Pang village in Uttarakhand's Raini district witnessed the arrival of several experts in the area on Saturday. A team of researchers reached the village to inspect the artificial lake formed over Rishiganga after the recent avalanche, claiming over 62 lives in the affected areas. The researchers are finding clues to ascertain how big a threat the artificial lake poses to areas downstream.

The team consists of four scientists each from the Geological Survey of India and Uttarakhand Space Application Centre, and is led by led by USAC Director MPS Bisht. The expert personnel will try to reach the lake on foot by Saturday evening or Sunday.

The glacial burst over Rishiganga had triggered an avalanche which had demolished a 13.2 MW hydel project along the river besides causing extensive damage to the NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project along Dhauliganga.

The death toll in the Chamoli glacial disaster mounted to 62, as search and rescue operations continued for the 13th day at the NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project site on Friday.

With roads in the area around Raini Gram Panchayat washed out in the recent flash flood and vast stretches turned into swamps, the team is being accompanied by a mountaineer from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and SDRF jawans to ensure their safe journey to the lake.

"We will inspect the lake formed over Rishiganga by the huge volume of sludge that came from Rauthi stream due to the avalanche," USAC Director Bisht told PTI.

"We hope to reach Udiyari by the evening which is located above the lake. By Sunday, we may reach the lake to inspect it and take its geographical measurements. How big a threat the lake can pose to the population living downstream of Rishiganga is something that can be measured only by how much water it contains," he said.

Sonographic equipment from the Indian Navy are being used to measure how much water is contained in the lake, he said.

Sonography experts from Hyderabad are also expected to measure the volume of water in the lake, Bisht said.

Bisht said his team will also incorporate the findings of a DRDO team which has visited the lake into its analysis.

With PTI Inputs