The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to conduct annual surveys of an artificial lake formed near the Gangotri glacier from May to September.
A division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice R C Khulbe issued the order on Thursday while disposing of public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Delhi resident Ajay Gautam.
The PIL claimed the artificial lake may pose danger in the future as it is located right at the point where the Ganga originates in the form of the Bhagirathi from the snout of Gaumukh.
The survey should be conducted annually from May to September when the snow melts and the water levels rise, it said. All records related to the artificial lake during the period should be maintained online and published on the SDMA website, the high court said.
The PIL has claimed that the formation of the lake might cause a tragedy like the one in Kedarnath in 2013 that killed thousands of people.
