Uttarkashi heights to face glacier, lake scan

Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan has instructed Director General Uttarakhand State Council of Science and Technology Prof. Durgesh Pant to immediately analyze the glaciers and glacier lakes etc. in the high altitude area above Dharali (Uttarkashi) and inform about the status quo. He said that the lakes formed by the melting of glaciers and the possible dangers from them should be immediately assessed and reported. Along with this, he has also talked about including high altitude areas across the state.

The Chief Secretary said that sensitive areas like Dharali and Rishiganga should be taken on priority and their analysis should be done and a report should be submitted immediately, so that preparations can be ensured in advance to prevent loss of life and property due to any such untoward incident in the near future. He said that such high altitude areas across the state should be immediately analyzed and a report should be submitted. Areas where there is a possibility of formation or expansion of any kind of lake should be identified. He named Uttarakhand Space Application Center (U-SAC) as the nodal agency for continuous analysis of this type. He said that this type of analysis is a continuous process across the state, for which it is essential to strengthen U-SAC.

The Chief Secretary said that Uttarakhand Space Application Center (U-SAC) will be the nodal agency for all kinds of assistance and coordination from the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) and the Institute of Remote Sensing Satellite (IRSS) including the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). He said that the work of installing sensors for monitoring lakes situated at high altitudes should be expedited. He also talked about taking assistance from NIH in this regard.

On this occasion, Director General of Police Deepam Seth, Principal Secretary R.K. Sudhanshu, R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, Nitesh Kumar Jha, Sachin Kurve, Dr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Jugal Kishore Pant and Vinod Kumar were present. Commissioner Garhwal Vinay Shankar Pandey was also present through video conferencing along with Suman.