Premature to detail out reasons: Lotus
* Secy DM discusses situation with experts
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Dec 12: In an unprecedented situation, the water in Chumathalang hot springs in the Nyoma Sub-Division of Leh District experienced a 2-3 meter surge in November 2023. Under normal circumstances, the water level in these hot springs rises only by one foot.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Amit Sharma, Secretary of Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation, Government of Ladakh, today convened a high-stakes meeting with senior teams from various National agencies and apprised them of the current status of the hot springs.
The meeting included representatives from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Geological Survey of India, Central Ground Water Board, National Institute of Hydrology, Western Himalayan Regional Centre, and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology.
According to a statement, the meeting explored the potential causes for the geological anomaly. Secretary Amit Sharma informed the experts that the water level in the hot springs had reached an unusual 2-3 meters height in November, a significant departure from the usual one-foot level.
The NDMA team inquired about tectonic plate movement, given the region’s high seismic activity, raising concerns about possible future earthquakes. On this, Secretary Amit Sharma requested if an expert team could be sent to this site to conduct an in-depth study so that such a phenomenon can be checked to an extent in the future as many hotels and guest houses have come up in the vicinity of the hot springs, posing a potential threat to both human safety and infrastructure, necessitating the high-stakes meeting to conduct a root cause analysis of the area.
Accordingly, the NDMA decided that the Geological Survey of India, Wadia Institute, and other teams would collaborate on a white paper detailing the phenomenon. This information, along with an advisory of dos and don’ts, will be shared with stakeholders, including the Ladakh Administration and NDMA.
Furthermore, it has been decided that a regular monitoring mechanism for hot springs water levels at Chumathalang, Nyoma, will be established to ensure the long-term safety of locals, households, tourism points, and defense rest houses situated near the Indus River.
Meanwhile, renowned scientist Sonam Lotus claimed that this unusual rise in the water level of the springs could be attributed to increased seismic activity in the region, but currently, it would be inappropriate to comment as a team of experts has already been deputed to study the area.
“This could have happened due to increased geological activity in the region. But anything could be detailed out only after the team submits its findings to the Government,” he said.
Since the presence of hotels and guest houses in the vicinity of the hot springs has heightened concerns about human safety and infrastructure, a revenue official of the area claimed there’s nothing to worry about “because this is a usual phenomenon due to the presence of sulfur in the area under investigation.”
“However, it is a subject of investigation by the team of experts, from the traditional knowledge that we’ve gathered from the prominent people and the historians of the area, only I could say is that there’s nothing to worry about for the people living close to these springs since they (springs) rise by a certain level off and on due to the presence of sulphur in the area,” he said.
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