China has told India that a dam in Tibet is likely to burst within 24 hours, forcing the Himachal Pradesh government to sound an alert for flash floods.People on both sides of the Sutlej have been asked to move to safer places as a precautionary measure as the dam created by the landslide, which blocked Pareechu River, is likely to burst within 24 hours because of continuous heavy rains, according to information received from China.Yesterday, the Centre had announced a team of three Indian hydrologists who would fly to Tibet to examine a lake that threatened to cause flash floods in Himachal Pradesh. The team has been awaiting the Chinese Government’s nod for the trip. The team comprises senior tunnelling experts from the Indian School of Mining, Dhanbad and Central Waters Commission, Delhi, as well as the chief engineer of Naptha Jhakri Hydroelectric Project in Himachal Pradesh.Meanwhile, the crisis management group in the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is monitoring the lake through satellite images and information from Beijing, has asked the Himachal Pradesh government to test its preparedness to tackle flash floods. Sources said the state government has also been asked to hold mock exercises. — (PTI)
