Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 11 Aug: Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan has directed Prof Durgesh Pant, Director General of the Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology, to conduct an immediate analysis of glaciers, glacial lakes, and related conditions in the higher-altitude areas above Dharali (Uttarkashi), and to provide a detailed status report at the earliest. He has instructed that an urgent assessment be carried out on lakes formed due to glacial melt and the potential hazards arising from them. He also emphasised that all high-altitude areas of the state should be covered in this exercise.
The Chief Secretary said that sensitive areas like Dharali and the Rishiganga region should be prioritised for analysis, with an immediate report submitted, so that proactive measures can be taken to prevent loss of life and property in case of any untoward incidents in the near future. He directed that all high-altitude areas where there is a possibility of lake formation or expansion be identified.
For the purpose of carrying out such analyses on a continuous basis, the Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC) has been designated as the nodal agency. The Chief Secretary stressed that this will be an ongoing process across the state and that USAC must be strengthened to fulfil this role effectively.
He further stated that USAC will serve as the sole nodal agency for coordination and assistance with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), the Institute of Remote Sensing Satellite (IRSS), and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He also directed that the installation of sensors for monitoring high-altitude lakes be expedited and suggested seeking support from the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) in this regard.
Present on the occasion were Director General, Police, Deepam Seth; Principal Secretaries RK Sudhanshu and R Meenakshi Sundaram; Secretaries Shailesh Bagauli, Nitesh Kumar Jha, Sachin Kurve, Dr Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Yugal Kishore Pant, and Vinod Kumar Suman. Commissioner, Garhwal, Vinay Shankar Pandey also attended the meeting via video conferencing.
