Secretary, Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation (DMRR) Ladakh, directed an expert team to conduct an in-depth study so that such phenomenon could be checked as it poses a potential threat to both human safety and infrastructure.
In an unprecedented geological phenomenon, the Chumathang hot spring water has suddenly risen to alarming heights and started surging towards the Nyoma sub-division locality.
Amit Sharma, Secretary, Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation (DMRR) UT of Ladakh, on Tuesday held a meeting with National Disaster Management Agency, Geological Survey of India, Central Ground Water Board, National Institute of Hydrology, Western Himalayan Regional Centre and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology to discuss on controlling the situation.
The Chumathang Hot Spring is a hot sulphur spring situated in a small hamlet along the Indus River about 138 kms from Leh.
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The hot spring water level suddenly increased up to 2 to 3 metres in the last ten days of November which otherwise remains at one feet level throughout the year.
The NDMA team was particularly keen to know if some movement in tectonic plates is responsible for the development, as this area already falls in a highly seismic zone category which can act as a prelude to future earthquakes occurrence in the area.
Amit Sharma directed an expert team to visit the site to conduct an in-depth study so that such phenomenon could be checked to an extent in the future as a lot of hotels and guest houses have come up in the vicinity which poses a potential threat to both human safety and infrastructure which necessitated calling for this highest-level meeting to conduct root cause analysis for same.
It was decided by the NDMA that the GSI, the Wadia Institute, and other teams shall share a white paper on same with all stakeholders, especially UT Ladakh Administration and NDMA, which shall be followed by an Advisory of Do’s & Don’ts for the locals and also putting into place a regular hot spring water-level monitoring mechanism at Chumathang by the experts to act as a long-term solution for the safety of locals, households, tourism points, defence rest houses which are located very near to Indus River, flowing near these natural hot springs.
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