Despite its radiation-plagued past, Chernobyl has seen a lot of tourist activity off late- thanks to the popular HBO series by the same name. However, here to give its wanderlust-induced fame a tough fight is another wonder in Russia that now has Instagrammers swooning over it. We’re talking about the pristine blue and awe-inspiringly gorgeous water-cluster in Serbia, that in fact is a chemical waste dump! Yes, that’s right.
Dubbed- “Novosibirsk Maldives”, the so-called lake is located near Novosibirsk, Siberia’s largest city with a population of around 1.6 million people. After it was accidently discovered on Instagram, the water-body has become so popular that thousands are now visiting it each day. It also has its own dedicated Instagram account that highlights its beauty and let’s millions repost their own pictures from the location on the page.
However, in highlighting its dangers, The Siberian Generating Company, which operates the Heating and Electrical Station Number 5 plant, recently released a statement cautioning people to steer clear from it. The insistent warning read – “In the last week, our ash dump of the Novosibirsk TEZ-5 has become the star of social networks,” it said. “But you CANNOT swim in the ash dump. Its water has high alkaline environment. This is due to the fact that calcium salts and other metal oxides are dissolved in it. Skin contact with such water may cause an allergic reaction!” For now, though, the “Novosibirsk Maldives” is the Instagram craze that refuses to die out!
[via:CBSNews]
