Pareechu lake hasn’t grown; outflow lowers pressure on wall

Experts of the core team that visited Himachal yesterday admitted they have a tough job at hand: To arrive at any conclusion on the danger d...

Experts of the core team that visited Himachal yesterday admitted they have a tough job at hand: To arrive at any conclusion on the danger due to the lake formed on the Pareechu river without visiting the site. But the topographical inputs have given them reason to breathe a bit easy. While their report will be finalised tomorrow, experts say, two clear signals show the situation isn’t that bad. The lake has not grown in size, from 193 hectares, in the past two days. Two, the outflow or the leakage has increased marginally. The Sutlej rose by about four inches today.

This means that while the flow into the lake has not risen due to less rain in the area, the increased outflow has lessened the pressure on the debris wall. The team members are, however, quick to add that these theories are not conclusive but just pointers.

Yesterday’s visit has helped them understand the topography of the region better. One of the members, who’s a Geological Survey of India representative, has pointed out that the rocks are predominantly limestone and dolomite that can withstand a lot of pressure.

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So far, the Indian government had been depending on hydrological inputs. Now, it is being armed with satellite pictures and inputs from the Geological Survey of India for a more comprehensive picture of the situation. A high alert is still being maintained in the Sutlej valley with more than 60 villages evacuated.

The Central Government has decided to allow the Nathpa Jhakri Power plant to restart two of its six units. Speaking to The Indian Express, CMD of the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited, Y.N. Apparao, said clearance has been received to restart the powerhouse, once communication links are strengthened, to ensure that the plant has the requisite two hours to shut down if water rushes in.

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