New Delhi, four states and a Union Territory in the Himalayas will begin ground-based studies to determine the vulnerability of glacial lakes after the monsoon season, officials said on Tuesday.
A glacial lake flood (GLOF) in Sikkim in October 2023 prompted this initiative, they said.
Tracking systems will also be established to provide crucial information on GLOFs, officials said.
"Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are setting up research teams and identifying routes to the glacial lakes. The teams will include officials and experts from agencies such as the National Remote Sensing Centre, the Indian Army and the Geological Survey of India," said an official from the National Disaster Management Authority.
The survey, which will be launched after the monsoon season, will focus on glacial lakes selected based on their risk profiles. "It is humanly impossible to cover all the glacial lakes," the official said.
Most of these lakes are located at altitudes of 5,000 meters or more. The research teams will be composed of experts in hydrology, topography and other relevant fields who are equipped to withstand adverse weather conditions and difficult terrain.
The overflow of the glacial lake in Sikkim caused at least 60 fatalities and extensive damage in the districts of Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi. It also destroyed the Chungthang Dam (Teesta III Dam), a crucial part of a major hydroelectric project.
Glacial lakes are formed by the melting of glaciers and the accumulation of meltwater in depressions on or near the glacier's surface. GLOFs occur when these lakes suddenly open due to factors such as excessive water accumulation or triggers such as earthquakes. These floods can cause significant destruction and pose serious risks to people and the environment downstream.
Officials said current knowledge about glacial lakes is mainly based on remote sensing, which is insufficient to determine their vulnerability comprehensively. Conducting terrestrial surveys is essential but challenging due to the remote and high-altitude locations of these lakes.
According to an April report by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), 676 of the 2,431 glacial lakes larger than 10 hectares in the Himalayas have expanded markedly since 1984. Of these, 130 lakes are in India, with 65 , 7 and 58. located in the basins of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, respectively.
The report noted that 601 lakes have more than doubled in size, 10 have grown between 1.5 and 2 times and 65 lakes have expanded 1.5 times.
An analysis based on elevation reveals that 314 lakes are located between 4,000 and 5,000 meters, and 296 lakes are above 5,000 meters elevation.
The Ghepang Ghat glacial lake in the Indus River basin, situated at an elevation of 4,068 meters in Himachal Pradesh, has seen a 178 per cent increase in its size from 36.49 to 101.30 hectares between 1989 and 2022.
The Himalayas, often called the Third Pole due to its extensive glaciers and snow cover, are very sensitive to climate change.
Research around the world has consistently shown unprecedented rates of glacial retreat and thinning due to human-caused climate change, leading to the formation of new lakes and the enlargement of existing ones in the Himalayan region.
A glacial lake flood (GLOF) in Sikkim in October 2023 prompted this initiative, they said.
Tracking systems will also be established to provide crucial information on GLOFs, officials said.
"Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are setting up research teams and identifying routes to the glacial lakes. The teams will include officials and experts from agencies such as the National Remote Sensing Centre, the Indian Army and the Geological Survey of India," said an official from the National Disaster Management Authority.
The survey, which will be launched after the monsoon season, will focus on glacial lakes selected based on their risk profiles. "It is humanly impossible to cover all the glacial lakes," the official said.
Most of these lakes are located at altitudes of 5,000 meters or more. The research teams will be composed of experts in hydrology, topography and other relevant fields who are equipped to withstand adverse weather conditions and difficult terrain.
The overflow of the glacial lake in Sikkim caused at least 60 fatalities and extensive damage in the districts of Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi. It also destroyed the Chungthang Dam (Teesta III Dam), a crucial part of a major hydroelectric project.
Glacial lakes are formed by the melting of glaciers and the accumulation of meltwater in depressions on or near the glacier's surface. GLOFs occur when these lakes suddenly open due to factors such as excessive water accumulation or triggers such as earthquakes. These floods can cause significant destruction and pose serious risks to people and the environment downstream.
Officials said current knowledge about glacial lakes is mainly based on remote sensing, which is insufficient to determine their vulnerability comprehensively. Conducting terrestrial surveys is essential but challenging due to the remote and high-altitude locations of these lakes.
According to an April report by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), 676 of the 2,431 glacial lakes larger than 10 hectares in the Himalayas have expanded markedly since 1984. Of these, 130 lakes are in India, with 65 , 7 and 58. located in the basins of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, respectively.
The report noted that 601 lakes have more than doubled in size, 10 have grown between 1.5 and 2 times and 65 lakes have expanded 1.5 times.
An analysis based on elevation reveals that 314 lakes are located between 4,000 and 5,000 meters, and 296 lakes are above 5,000 meters elevation.
The Ghepang Ghat glacial lake in the Indus River basin, situated at an elevation of 4,068 meters in Himachal Pradesh, has seen a 178 per cent increase in its size from 36.49 to 101.30 hectares between 1989 and 2022.
The Himalayas, often called the Third Pole due to its extensive glaciers and snow cover, are very sensitive to climate change.
Research around the world has consistently shown unprecedented rates of glacial retreat and thinning due to human-caused climate change, leading to the formation of new lakes and the enlargement of existing ones in the Himalayan region.
