Study warns of glacial outburst risk to buildings, bridges from 5 Kashmir lakes: Omar

SRINAGAR: Five lakes successful the Kashmir Valley person precocious susceptibility to glacial water outburst floods (GLOFs), posing a menace to 2,704 buildings, 15 large bridges, roadworthy stretches, and a hydropower works successful their contiguous downstream areas, a survey by the University of Kashmir has found.Citing the study, CM Omar Abdullah, who besides holds the catastrophe absorption and alleviation portfolio, told the J&K Assembly Tuesday that determination is simply a request for continuous monitoring of these high-susceptibility lakes done distant sensing and targeted tract assessments, arsenic good arsenic the installation of effectual aboriginal informing systems.However, the CM said, a water classified arsenic highly susceptible does not mean it is presently unstable.

He said it lone means it whitethorn beryllium much prone to an outburst compared to others if circumstantial triggering conditions occur. “This does not connote that the water is presently unstable oregon actively breaching oregon apt to neglect successful the contiguous future,” Omar said successful his written response.The study, conducted by researchers from the section of geoinformatics, has analysed 155 glacial lakes successful the Kashmir Himalaya. Of these, Bramsar and Chirsar successful Kulgam district; Nundkol and Gangabal successful Ganderbal territory and Bhagsar successful Shopian district, person been categorised arsenic having “very precocious susceptibility” compared with others successful the region.

Omar said close hazard appraisal of glacial water outburst floods successful the Kashmir Valley, including estimates of flood magnitude, velocity and informing time, requires reliable accusation connected glacial water volume. For this, helium said, researchers astatine the section of geoinformatics person procured high-precision, almighty tools, including robotic echo-sounding boats, with enactment from the national ministry of world sciences, to cognize the h2o measurement of the lake.Using this facility, helium said, in-depth surveys of high-risk glacial lakes successful the occidental Himalaya are planned for 2026.