Lahaul to have avalanche warning system

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, March 24

The administration of Lahaul and Spiti is planning to set up an early warning system for avalanches to ensure safety.

After the opening of Atal Tunnel, the movement of people between Manali and Lahaul is round the year now, so the threat of loss has increased manifold. A few days ago, a tourist vehicle was hit by an avalanche near Sissu, in which five persons had a narrow escape.

DC Neeraj Kumar said, “We are planning to set up an early warning system for avalanches in the district. The area is prone to avalanches and after the opening of the tunnel, the threat to human life has increased.”

“We have a dialogue with the Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to set up an early warning system for avalanches in the district. Soon, a memorandum of understating will be signed between the district administration and the DGRE for the purpose,” he said.

“An observatory will be set up by the DGRE in the district, which will collect data about snow surface temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, standing snow, fresh snowfall amount and fresh snow density. It will play a crucial role in forecasting avalanche occurrence, so that human tragedy could be averted,” the DC added.

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