Dehradun, Sept. 9 -- An expert team on Tuesday departed to conduct scientific and bathymetric surveys of Saraswati Tal in Chamoli district and Kedartal in Uttarkashi district as part of efforts to assess and mitigate risks associated with glacial lakes in Uttarakhand. Secretary, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman flagged off the team from the headquarters of the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA). Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and disaster management and rehabilitation minister Madan Kaushik extended their best wishes to the team for the mission. Dhami said, "A comprehensive survey and scientific study of sensitive glacial lakes in the state was being undertaken to assess their current status, water levels, changes in size, surrounding terrain and areas that could potentially be affected in case of a disaster." He stressed the importance of timely warnings to vulnerable areas in the event of a potential threat. Modern sensors, water-level monitoring equipment, communication systems and other technical resources would be ensured to facilitate timely action during a disaster, he said. Kaushik said necessary safety and risk-reduction measures were being implemented to minimise the impact of potential disasters linked to glacial lakes. "Identifying sensitive areas would help the government strengthen evacuation routes, map potentially affected zones and improve communication systems, local warning mechanisms and relief and rescue preparedness," he said. Suman said 13 glacial lakes in Uttarakhand have been identified as falling under the 'sensitive' category. Four of these have already been surveyed, while surveys and scientific studies of the remaining vulnerable lakes are being conducted in phases. As part of the ongoing exercise, expert teams have been deployed to conduct bathymetric surveys of Saraswati Tal and Kedartal. The teams will assess the lakes' present condition, water levels, potential hazard factors and possible impacts on downstream areas. Saraswati Tal is located at an altitude of around 5,700 metres, while Kedartal is situated at approximately 4,750 metres. Suman said scientific surveys of the two high-altitude lakes were crucial for disaster risk reduction, given their challenging geographical terrain. The survey campaign involves specialists from several scientific, technical and disaster-response institutions and security forces. The participating organisations include USDMA, ULMMC, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (Lucknow), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, NIH Roorkee, SDRF, NDRF and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. Officials said that the participation of experts from different scientific and disaster-management institutions is aimed at providing a multi-dimensional assessment of the condition of the two glacial lakes, potential hazards and their possible downstream impacts....