Uttarakhand HC orders periodic survey of Gaumukh

The Uttarakhand High Court has asked Dehradun-based geology institute to conduct a survey of Gaumukh in collaboration with ISRO every three months to find out whether a lake is developing close to the glacier and file a report. Hearing a PIL filed by Delhi resident Acharya Ajay Gautam claiming that a lake has formed dangerously close to Gaumukh, a division bench of Chief Justice K M Joseph and Justice Sharad Sharma asked the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) yesterday to conduct a survey every three months of the point from where the Ganga originates.

The court also held that if a temporary lake had formed at Gaumukh, it must be removed scientifically. The petition claims that a lake covering an area of nearly 1.5 sq km has developed beside a huge mound of debris, measuring 30 metres in height and 250 metres in width, close to Gaumukh which might cause a Kedarnath-like tragedy in future. The 2013 Kedarnath tragedy killed thousands of people after heavy rains led to the collapse of the Chaurabari Lake located above the shrine, causing flash floods.

The formation of the lake came to light after a team of scientists from the WIHG visited Gaumukh in July 2017. The team led by PS Negi, senior scientist of the institute, said the lake had started forming in Gaumukh after the floods. Due to the presence of the 4-metre deep lake, the stream which earlier used to flow straight has now shifted course and started flowing from the right.