Experts from the National Institute of Research on Glaciers and Mountain Ecosystems (Inaigem), an entity attached to the Ministry of the Environment, permanently monitor the water level of the Salkantaycocha lagoon in Cusco.
The glacial lake, fed by the melting of the snowy Salkantay mountain, caused a flood on February 23rd that destroyed villages, caused deaths and left more than 1,500 people affected in the district of Santa Teresa.
In the recent technical inspection carried out last October 9, a team from Inaigem corroborated that the water level at the edge is considerably below that recorded in February this year, but shows a slight increase compared to last July.
“Given the current conditions, it is concluded that the current level of the Salkantaycocha lagoon represents a low danger,” said Oscar Vilca, a specialist from that entity, for an official statement.
Vilca said that these days the possibility of an overflow in that lagoon represents a low threat with reference to the overflow registered in February.
According to the findings of the on-site inspection, Salkantaycocha presents conditions of clogging by sediment fillings deposited on the bottom of the water. In reference to the rocky wall of the snow-capped mountain of the same name, the fall of small fragments was observed, being a normal condition in this area.
Victor Bustinza, head of the Decentralized Macro Office of the Southern Region of Inaigem, reported that the staff of this institution fulfills the task of preventing the risk of disasters from glacial lakes along the Vilcabamba mountain range in Cusco.
He added that having as a background the avalanche in the snowy Salkantay, a report was issued with the respective recommendations to the competent authorities. “Since then, a constant follow-up of the situation of the lagoon and the rocky wall of the snow-capped mountain is being carried out,” he said.
