3 days ago
Centre Urges Himalayan States to Strengthen GLOF, Avalanche Readiness
India held a meeting about dangerous floods from glacial lakes and snow avalanches.
These floods can happen when a natural dam holding back a melting glacier lake breaks.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan led the meeting.
Officials from Himalayan states and Jammu and Kashmir took part.
They discussed watching risky lakes and snowy areas carefully.
They also planned how to warn people, evacuate them and send help quickly.
The officials were told to prepare communities before disasters happen, not just respond afterward.
They were also asked to improve coordination and speed up projects that reduce flood risks.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan reviewed Himalayan preparedness for glacial lake outburst floods and snow avalanches on Thursday, September 3.
Officials from five Himalayan states, Jammu and Kashmir and national disaster and scientific agencies attended the New Delhi meeting.
Discussions covered monitoring vulnerable glacial lakes and snow-covered areas, high-risk locations, flow paths, alerts and evacuation plans.
States presented strategies involving early warnings, community preparedness, last-mile alert delivery and response resources.
Mohan urged preventive, risk-informed planning, stronger local coordination and faster implementation of GLOF mitigation projects sanctioned in 2024.
- Who
- Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, officials from Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, and representatives of national disaster and scientific agencies.
- What
- A review of preparedness for glacial lake outburst floods and snow avalanches.
- Where
- New Delhi, with the review focused on vulnerable Himalayan areas.
- When
- Thursday, September 3.
- Why
- To improve monitoring, early warnings, evacuation planning, prevention and emergency response, helping reduce loss of life and property.
Key facts
- Meeting chair
- Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan
- Main risks
- Glacial lake outburst floods and snow avalanches
- Participants
- Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir
- National agencies
- National Disaster Management Authority, Central Water Commission, India Meteorological Department and Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment
- Preparedness priorities
- Monitoring vulnerable areas, identifying high-risk locations and flow paths, issuing alerts, evacuation planning and strengthening response mechanisms
- Planning approach
- States and Union Territories were urged to move beyond response-oriented measures toward preventive, risk-informed and community-level preparedness.
- Mitigation projects
- States were asked to expedite glacial lake outburst flood mitigation projects sanctioned by the Union government in 2024.
- Reported regional context
- The meeting followed flash floods on the Nepal-China border on August 26, which the report said caused more than 1,300 deaths and left over 5,000 people missing.
Quotes
Ministry of Home Affairs
India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, which issued the meeting statement
“States/UTs were advised to regularly review their preparedness plans, identify gaps in early warning and evacuation arrangements, and undertake necessary corrective measures in advance of any extreme event.”
theprint.in
“The states/UTs were advised to maintain close coordination among state agencies, district administrations and scientific and technical institutions so that warnings are acted upon promptly and effectively.”
theprint.in
Sources
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