India has 7,500 Himalayan glacial lakes, 200 are high risk amid flood fears
India is accelerating its disaster mitigation efforts following the identification of approximately 200 high-risk glacial lakes in the Himalayas. The government has formed a high-level committee to improve early warning systems and infrastructure protection against potential Glacial Lake Outburst Floods.
Why it matters
Climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme geological events, posing a direct threat to national security and infrastructure in mountainous regions.
NEW DELHI: The Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) disaster in Nepal Wednesday has renewed discussion on India's own strategy and preparedness to mitigate such risk with the presence of approximately 200 high-risk glacial lakes in the Himalayan regions.According to govt's survey of these glacial lakes, Himalayan ranges are host to as many as 7,500 of them - with 10% in Sikkim and of which 25 are considered very high-risk. The study found 4,700 of these glacial lakes situated in Ganga river basin with a catchment area estimated at over 2.5 lakh sqkm, projecting a colossal scale of devastation a single breach could cause.India suffered one of the worst GLOF disasters in recent times when on Oct 3, 2023, glacial rocks of 14.7 cubic meter collapsed in South Lhonak Lake in Sikkim, close to midnight, "generating a 20-m high displacement wave", wiping out several hydro power assets and settlements on its…
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