Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered tighter monitoring of 13 sensitive glacial lakes in Uttarakhand. The move aims to strengthen early warnings, evacuation planning and disaster readiness in vulnerable hill areas.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday directed officials to step up monitoring and safety measures for glacial lakes in the state after 13 of them were identified as sensitive. He said the lakes could pose potential risks in hilly areas and asked for regular and scientific monitoring.
According to instructions issued to State Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, the chief minister also called for the installation of state-of-the-art early warning systems in sensitive areas and for their numbers to be increased wherever needed. He said a comprehensive survey and scientific study of the sensitive glacial lakes should be carried out across the state.
Dhami said the process should include regular assessment of the lakes’ condition, water levels, changes in size, the condition of the surrounding terrain and potential risk zones. He also stressed the need for modern sensors, water-level measuring instruments, communication systems and other technical resources so that timely warnings can be issued to affected areas if there is a threat.
The chief minister further directed officials to identify sensitive areas and strengthen safe evacuation routes, communication networks, local warning systems, and relief and rescue preparedness for disaster situations. Following his directions, Vinay Ruhela, Vice-Chairman of the Disaster Management Department’s State Advisory Committee, and Lt Col (Retd.) Raghuvir Singh Bhandari held a meeting with all district magistrates.
The meeting reviewed preparedness to deal with possible disasters in Uttarakhand, especially in view of the recent floods in Nepal. District magistrates were told to ensure regular monitoring of potential risk zones in their districts and immediately report any unusual activity to higher authorities.