With the threat of an artificially created lake in Tibet bursting becoming graver, the Union government on Wednesday asked the army and civil authorities to remain ready for any eventuality.

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If the lake bursts, it will send a wall of water into the Sutlej river causing unimaginable destruction downstream in large parts of Himachal Pradesh.

"The Centre is in touch with the Chinese government, which is giving information to us about the situation," Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said after inaugurating a building of the National Institute of Disaster Management in New Delhi.

He said the state government has also worked out a plan to tackle the situation.

On the delay in receiving clearance from China for an inspection of the site by a for a four-member technical team from India, he said: "The External Affairs Ministry has been talking to the Chinese side and about what exactly has to be done need not to be suggested by our experts, they [the Chinese] have their own experts."

An artificial lake has been created due to a landslide in the Tibet region creating a danger of flash floods in Himachal Pradesh in the event of the collected mass of water breaking the wall and flowing into the Sutlej river.