DC Kangra took stock of glacier lake by traversing 14-km trek

The district administration and DDMA team inspected the glacier lake in the polling area.

Kangra, September 28: A joint team from the Kangra District Administration and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) conducted a detailed field inspection of a glacier lake located in a remote area of Gram Panchayat Poling in Multhan Tehsil, Baijnath Sub-Division, on Sunday. The purpose of the inspection was to assess the lake’s current condition, surrounding geographical conditions, and potential disaster risks.
Deputy Commissioner Kangra Hemraj Bairwa and SDM Baijnath Sankalp Gautam, along with their team, completed a 14-kilometer-long, difficult and inaccessible trek to a place called Dinsar to conduct a field inspection of the glacier lake. During this, they took stock of the lake’s condition, the surrounding area, and potential risk areas, and obtained necessary information from the concerned officials.
A team of about 22 members including Tehsildar Multan Harish, DDMA representative Kuldeep Singh, officials of Jal Shakti and Revenue Department and Jitendra, in-charge of the Search and Rescue Team of Mountaineering Institute, participated in this campaign.
The team completed a difficult, approximately 14-kilometer trek from the Gram Panchayat polling station to Dinsar. Despite the difficult terrain, the team reached the site and conducted a detailed inspection of the glacier lake. During the inspection, the area surrounding the lake, its drainage, potential water flow direction, and potential impacts on downstream areas were assessed.

Following a field inspection, Kangra DC Hemraj Bairwa clarified that under current circumstances, no immediate danger is posed by the glacier lake. However, given the region’s geological and seismic sensitivity, necessary precautionary measures will be taken to address the potential risk in the event of a major earthquake or other natural event in the future.
In this regard, Kangra DC Hemraj Bairwa has directed the preparation of a proposal to establish an Early Warning System (EWS) in the lake area. This system will help provide timely warnings to the administration and the population living in potentially affected areas in the event of any unusual changes in the lake’s water level or other critical conditions.

Considering the potential risks, DC Kangra also emphasized community preparedness. He said that mock drills and evacuation drills would be conducted periodically in low-lying areas potentially affected by the lake, including Poling, Cherna, Lohardri, and Lohardri School.
Through these exercises, local residents will be made aware and trained about reaching safe places in time in case of a possible disaster, using designated evacuation routes, understanding warning signals and coordinating with the administration and rescue team.