Anantnag: A team of experts from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar has been called in to find the underground water flow of the sinkhole at Brengi stream in Kokernag area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
“In collaboration with NIT Srinagar, we are conducting advanced Tracer studies. This may throw light on the epochal underground KARST topography. Interesting findings like a source of springs etc may be in the offing,” Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Dr Piyush Singhla Tweeted.
An official said the team has camped in the area for the past two days and have taken the water samples of the sinkhole and numerous springs in the area for quality test.
“This might also help in ascertaining the path of the underground water flow,” he said. An official said geophysical and gravity surveys would also be carried out.
Earlier, experts from the Department of the Earth Sciences, the University of Kashmir and the Geology and Mining department also visited the spot and suggested measures.
The vertical hole that emerged in the middle of the river bed at Wandevalgam on February 11 disrupted the entire flow of the stream. Experts believe it to be a natural phenomenon formed due to the gradual chemical dissolution of limestone rocks in the river.
Earlier, in the year 1995, one such sinkhole developed in the stream a few meters above in the same area which was later filled up with sand and gravel. The water of that channel had later found its discharge at Achabal.
However, as of now, experts are yet to find the outlet of this sinkhole gulping the water. The sinkhole has left several kilometers of the downstream portion dry killing the precious trout fish in large numbers. Brengi stream is one of the major tributaries of Jehlum river and framers relying on the water of this stream for irrigating their agricultural land fear drought
The efforts to divert the water from a sinkhole in a Brengi stream, have failed to yield any results so far with another cavity surfacing nearby.
“We had managed to divert the water through a channel running parallel to the sinkhole, but barely a few meters another cavity has emerged which has again interrupted the flow of water,” an official said.
Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) Flood control, Kokernag, Muhamad Saeed, however, said the discharge to the sinkhole has considerably come down. “The water is not still flowing downstream but is dribbling down to an extent through the diversion,” he said.