Chamoli’s Vasundhara Tal to Get Early Warning System for Glacier Lake Risks

Chamoli: The Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, will install an indigenous early warning system at Vasundhara Tal in Chamoli to monitor potential glacier lake disasters.

Developed jointly by CBRI and the Uttarakhand government, the system is designed to provide an alert nearly one hour before a potential disaster.

A special tower equipped with sensors will continuously monitor rainfall, snowfall, lake size, water level and water flow. Any unusual activity, such as a sudden rise in water level, falling ice blocks or cracks in the natural dam, will be reported to the control room within one to two minutes. Cameras and satellite connectivity will support real-time monitoring.

Experts estimate that if Vasundhara Tal breaches, water and debris could travel nearly 20 km downstream in just 8–10 minutes, making timely alerts crucial for protecting lives and property.

CBRI has previously deployed the same indigenous technology in Manali, where it has been collecting data for nearly a year.

Himalayan Live Bureau