Keep watch on situation: Home Secy to DRDO, state

NEW DELHI: Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Monday reviewed the status of an artificial lake formed in the wake of a recent glacier burst in the upper catchment areas of the Rishiganga river in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district.

At a meeting, Bhalla reviewed the action being taken to allow for more flow in the water and removal of some obstructions, which have formed at the site of the artificial lake, a statement issued by the home ministry said.

The chief secretary of Uttarakhand, who joined the meeting through video-conference, informed based on the physical assessment of the artificial lake made on the site by multiple scientific agencies and satellite data, there is no imminent danger as the volume of water is less than expected and it is flowing through a natural chan

U’KHAND TRAGEDY

nel that has been widened.

The Union home secretary promised continued help and assistance from central agencies to the state government as and when required by it to handle the situation arising out of the temporary obstruction, the statement said.

The meeting was also attended by the ITBP DG, the member-secretary of the NDMA, the NDRF DG, the DRDO chairman, senior officials of the Ministry of Power, officers from the IDS headquarters and scientists from central agencies, and others.

Meanwhile, the NDRF men reached up to 171 metres inside the Tapovan tunnel.

Also, SDRF has installed a Quick Deployable Antenna system at the artificial lake. The QDA system based on satellite communication will monitor the lake in a no-signal zone at 14,000 ft.