Uttarakhand: Chamoli residents worried over lake being built on Dhauli river

Residents of Chamoli in Uttarakhand are worried over a lake being built on Dhauli river. A 20-30 metre long lake is being built on the river about 80 km from Joshimath towards the Niti Malari border. The lake is being built against the flow of the river which might cause major natural disasters, according to Atul Sati, an expert in Himalayan ecology.

Chamoli:People residing in the low-lying areas along Dhauli river about 80 km from Joshimath, where a lake being built, have started expressing concern about the developments. The lake will reportedly be built about one-and-a-half km near the Niti village at the Niti Malari border.

Atul Sati, an expert in Himalayan ecology and natural movements in the higher Himalayan region, who recently returned after an inspection of the site, said that the lake would be 20 to 30 meters long and 15 to 20 metres wide.

Sati further noted that such construction in the higher regions is not a new phenomenon. He cautioned, however, that the lake is being built against the flow of the river, which might cause major natural disaster.

He highlighted that the main reason for the construction of the lake near the Indo-China border was dumping of waste material from road construction into the Dhauli river, which has resulted in blocking the natural flow of the river. Piles of boulders and rubble have accumulated in several places before the lake, which can cause great danger even in the event of a slight rain.

NB Sharma, the divisional forest officer of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, said on the other hand that a fine of Rs two-and-a-half lakhs has been imposed on the road construction agency responsible for dumping waste materials into the river other than the designated dumping zone.