The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad, has informed Uttarakhand State authorities about possible formation of a lake due to landslide debris on the Alaknanda river west of Badrinath and Mana village.
Observers point out that if a large lake is formed and bursts, the resulting flash floods could threaten Badrinath and other towns downstream of the Alaknanada, though the present situation is not said to be alarming. Acting on this information, the Chamoli district administration sent a team to survey the site and said on Thursday that the flow of water in the river had not been restricted. While the district authorities and police have stated that they are on alert, the NRSC and Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC) are monitoring all glacial lakes above the tree line in the State.
The NRSC had mailed information and satellite. State informed about possible lake formation images of the area in question to various Central and State officials, including the State Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre (DMMC) executive director on July 10, but in the absence of a specific alert, he has sought clarification from the NRSC on whether this was a specific alert about threat of disaster or just general information about the formation of a lake.
Based on the information provided by the State Government, the NRSC attempted to locate the likely formation of a lake to the west of Mana village and Badrinath on the Alaknanda. Details of monitoring of glacial lake in Bhagirathi and Alaknanda basins were mailed to various State and Central officials on Wednesday. DMMC executive director Piyoosh Rautela said that on receiving the mail, he had asked NRSC whether it was general information or a specific alert about a disaster threat.
“Just the formation of a lake is of no interest to us unless it creates the risk of disaster. Specific alerts would be more useful than general information for taking necessary measures in view of a disaster threat,” he said, adding that he had forwarded the NRSC message to the District authorities concerned.
Talking to The Pioneer, Chamoli district magistrate V Shanmugam said that on receipt of the information, a survey team comprising army, ITBP, police and civilian officials were sent to the site to check the situation. “The flow of water in the Alaknanda has not been blocked,” he said, referring to the findings of the survey team.
USAC director Dr MM Kimothi said that the NRSC was asked to check satellite images for possible formation of a lake in the area in question following local reports. “The scenario does not call for panic but simply that authorities remain alert. It is good if the landslide debris are not blocking flow of the water in the Alaknanda,” he said, responding to the findings of the survey team sent by the District administration. The NRSC is expected to reveal more details about this development on Friday. Meanwhile, the Centre and USAC are monitoring all glacial lakes above the tree line in Uttarakhand, added Kimothi. The lake on the Alaknanda was inferred to have formed below the Satopanth glacier to the west of Mana village near Badrinath.
‘Breaking news’ causes panic
Panic spread among those living along the banks of the Alaknanda when a regional news channel broadcast news about the water level rising in the Satopanth glacial lake and later ‘broke news’ about this lake bursting near Badrinath in Chamoli district. Following this broadcast, people living along the Alaknanda at Srinagar in Pauri district also began shifting to higher areas until they were informed about there being no flash floods. District officials have stressed that there is no cause for alarm as confirmed by a survey team.