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The Union Home Secretary reviewed preparedness against Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and snow avalanches with five Himalayan states and UTs.
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir presented their mitigation and early-warning plans.
States were told to move from response-oriented measures to risk-informed planning, preventive mitigation and community preparedness.
States must expedite the GLOF mitigation projects sanctioned by the Centre in 2024.
As a glacier retreats it leaves behind a moraine — a ridge of loose rock and debris — which can pond meltwater into a lake. That dam is unconsolidated, not solid rock, so it can breach suddenly when overtopped by a landslide, avalanche or heavy melt, releasing the whole lake downstream as a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood.
Simple Analogy: A reservoir held back by a heap of rubble rather than a concrete wall.
Apex body laying down disaster management policies and guidelines, constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Specialist multi-disciplinary force raised under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 for response and rescue in disaster situations.
Premier technical body on water resources; runs flood forecasting and advises on the hydrology of affected river basins.
State-level authorities under the same Act, headed by respective Chief Ministers; they presented their preparedness plans at this review.
GS Paper 3 > Disaster Management; GS Paper 1 > Geography > Himalayan Region
General Awareness > Environment and Geography
Glacial Lake Outburst Flood — the sudden release of water from a glacial lake when its natural dam fails.
A ridge of unconsolidated rock and debris deposited by a glacier, which can impound meltwater into a lake.
Mapping the route a burst flood would take downstream, so warnings and evacuations can be targeted at settlements actually in its way.