Dehradun, Oct. 14 -- Uttarakhand has completed the first phase of installing an early warning system at Vasundhara Tal in Chamoli district to monitor potential risks associated with glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), with a scientific and technical team returning on Tuesday after successfully completing the challenging high-altitude mission. Officials said the team installed several advanced sensors at Vasundhara Tal and its surrounding area despite difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions. Officials said this is the first time an early warning system of this kind has been inst- alled at a glacial lake in Uttarakhand. Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan had flagged off the expedition team on September 29. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said: "Timely identification of potential threats from glacial lakes is particularly important for a mountainous state such as Uttarakhand. The state government is strengthening its disaster management sys- tem through modern technology, scientific research and coordination among institutions". Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Minister Madan Kaushik said the sensor-based system would "facilitate collection of data on water levels, weather conditions, snow cover and other changes in the natural environment around the lake". Chief secretary Bardhan said the installation was an "important step towards strengthening the state's technical and scientific disaster preparedness". "Regular monitoring and analysis of data from the sensors would help identify significant changes in and around the lake", the chief secretary said. Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority had undertaken the installation under the National Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Risk Mitigation Programme. "Scientists and technical experts from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, are involved in the mission", he said. "Two accelerometers and tilt sensors have been installed to monitor ground movements, while another accelerometer and tilt sensor will specifically monitor avalanche-related activity," he said. A snow-depth sensor will measure snow depth, while seven temperature sensors have been installed at different depths beneath the snow surface. Another sensor will monitor the lake's surface temperature", he added. The data is expected to provide information on changes in water levels, local weather, snow conditions and possible ground movements around the lake, he said. Dr DP Kanungo, scientist at CBRI, Roorkee, and head of the expedition team, said Vasundhara Tal is approximately 38.5 metres deep, 600 metres wide and 900 metres long. During the expedition, the team also verified data transmission from the sensors and communication systems installed at the lake. Kanungo said a comparison of current conditions with previous data showed no significant change in the lake's dimensions. The location for the early warning system was selected after considering the risks of landslides and avalanches, as well as the geographical and weather conditions of the high-altitude region....