Prime Minister’s principal secretary PK Mishra has referred to as the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in Sikkim’s South Lhonak final 12 months a wake-up name, underlining danger discount isn’t just about responding to disasters but additionally about constructing resilience. He emphasised that stopping disasters was the easiest way to cope with them.
Talking at a Committee on Catastrophe Danger Discount (CoDRR) workshop on methods for GLOF danger discount on Tuesday, Mishra mentioned earlier makes an attempt to mitigate dangers from the South Lhonak Lake had been unsuccessful and plans had been primarily restricted to scientific hazard assessments and geo-spatial monitoring of lake measurement will increase. He added there was subtle accountability amongst states and central businesses that created confusion about roles.
Mishra mentioned the federal government initiated the coordinating platform CoDRR in response to those challenges. Mishra added that this platform has enabled a sequence of conferences adopted by common suggestions and communication between central scientific businesses and states. Mishra mentioned the platform has allowed delegating major accountability to states whereas making certain satisfactory help from central businesses.
“Our coordinated efforts have resulted within the compilation of a dynamic listing of roughly 200 high-risk glacial lakes from a complete of seven,500 surveyed. This iterative course of has allowed us to classify these lakes primarily based on danger ranges successfully. States had been inspired to conduct expeditions to evaluate all A-category lakes in summer season of 2024, resulting in important engagement from native authorities.”
Mishra underlined the necessity for working collectively throughout borders and disciplines to create a safer world and the significance of collaboration in addressing world challenges corresponding to GLOF dangers. He mentioned that India’s dedication extends past nationwide borders. He spoke about partaking with GLOF specialists from international locations corresponding to Bhutan, Nepal, Peru, Switzerland, and Tajikistan. Mishra mentioned such collaboration is significant to enhancing understanding of response methods.
Mishra highlighted the necessity for mitigating dangers related to glacial lakes to make sure a safer future for downstream communities.
HT on August 23 reported round 16 Nationwide Catastrophe Administration Authority (NDMA) groups, scientists, and safety officers have taken up expeditions to glaciers at an altitude of 4500m and above to map the menace they might pose downstream within the occasion of a GLOF. The NDMA recognized 189 high-risk glacial lakes within the Himalayas and launched a ₹150-crore programme for danger mitigation, together with monitoring and early warning methods.
In February 2021, a glacier breach induced flash floods in Uttarakhand’s Rishi Ganga Valley. The floods killed over 200 individuals, practically washed away two hydropower crops, and broken Raini, a border village as soon as related to the environmental Chipko motion. Two years later, the GLOF in South Lhonak in Sikkim in October 2023 led to the collapse of the Teesta III hydroelectric dam at Chungthang in North Sikkim, inflicting widespread devastation downstream.
A World Meteorological Organisation report primarily based on information from the Nationwide Emergency Response Centre of India mentioned the GLOF led to over 100 deaths and left 70 lacking. Round 4,500 individuals had been evacuated, and practically 90,000 individuals had been affected. Moreover, about 2,000 homes had been broken.
