India Setting Up Flood Warning Systems In Himalayas
India is setting up a high-tech flood warning system at nearly 200 Himalayan glacial lakes, which are at risk of bursting their banks. As per the official information, 20 lakes have been covered so far and 20 additional are underway.
Indian Himalayas have at least 7,500 glacial lakes, many of which pose a risk of dangerous flash floods. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) teams are targeting 190 high-altitude lakes that are considered as most dangerous under a three-year mission.
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There is a high risk of sudden release of water from glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), which has collected in former glacier beds. These lakes are formed by the retreat of glaciers, a natural phenomenon turbocharged by the warmer temperatures of climate change.
The installation work of early warning systems is undergoing on around 6 high-risk lakes in the Northeastern state of Sikkim, where over 75 people died in a flood, last year October.
The project also includes ‘lowering lake levels’ of accumulated water and ice slush in lakes.
The installation team is consited by experts from army and multiple government agencies including Indian Space Research Organisation, geologist, hydrologists, computing engineers and weather specialists. Indian air force is also expected to join the mission.
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The mission will cover Himalayan regions extending from Kashmir and Ladakh in the north to Arunachal Pradesh in the Northeast part of India.
According to a 2020 satellite based study, volume of glacial lakes has increased by 50% in the last 30 years and there is a high risk of flooding from a breach in the ‘High Mountains’ regions. The risk gets many fold considering the fact that more people live closer to glacial lakes in the region making warning times even shorter.
