India launches flood warning systems at Himalayan glacial lakes

By AFP
September 04, 2024
People walk along the area affected by the flood at Golitar, in Singtam, Sikkim, India on October 5, 2023. — Reuters
People walk along the area affected by the flood at Golitar, in Singtam, Sikkim, India on October 5, 2023. — Reuters 

NEW DELHI: India is setting up high-tech warning systems at nearly 200 Himalayan glacial lakes at risk of bursting their banks, a deadly threat exacerbated by climate change, disaster officials said on Tuesday.

India´s Himalayas contain at least 7,500 glacial lakes, many of which pose risks of dangerous flash floods.

Teams from India´s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) are targeting 190 high-altitude lakes deemed to be the most dangerous in a mission slated to take three years.

“We have already made significant strides in mitigating risks”, Safi Ahsan Rizvi, a senior NDMA official directing the mission, told AFP.