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Navy team dives into 'nearly freezing' waters of glacial lake in Tapovan to measure depth

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 2/22/2021 12:33:30 PM

New Delhi, Feb 21 In a joint operation, the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday winched divers to measure the depth of a glacial lake formed upstream of Tapovan in Uttarakhand. Indian Navy divers were winched by the IAF’s Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) at an altitude of 14,000 feet above the mean sea level to measure the depth of the glacial lake, news agency PTI reported. “With no road access and time criticality, Indian Navy diving team were quickly mobilised onboard the IAF ALH,” PTI quoted the Navy as saying. The data will help scientists determine the pressure on the mud wall of the dam. “The Naval divers undertook the challenging task of winching down from the helo and recording of depth using a handheld echo sounder [depth measuring equipment] in the near-freezing waters. Throughout the evolution, the IAF pilots maintained accurate positioning in the difficult terrain,” the Navy added. Meanwhile, search operations have recovered 65 bodies while 139 persons are still missing, following the flashflood in Chamoli on February 7. Due to the avalanche, an artificial lake was formed after sediments blocked the mouth of a stream that joins the Rishiganga river. According to the Central Water Commission.