Nine swelling glacial lakes in Himachal Pradesh pose serious flood risk

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi have sounded an alert over nine glacial lakes in Himachal Pradesh that are expanding at alarming rates, potentially posing a significant flood risk to residents in downstream areas. The research team has characterized these water bodies as "ticking time bombs" capable of triggering catastrophic outburst floods.

Using satellite imagery and advanced data analysis, the IIT-Mandi team discovered that the number of glacial lakes across the Himalayan region has surged by nearly 30 percent over the past decade, with individual lakes expanding considerably in size. The expansion is driven by accelerating glacier melt linked to rising global temperatures.

Sudden glacial lake outburst floods, known as GLOFs, can unleash massive volumes of water and debris with devastating consequences for valleys and communities located downstream. The research team, led by Prof. Dericks P. Shukla, Founding Chairperson of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at IIT-Mandi, emphasized the urgent need for monitoring and early warning systems.

The findings take on heightened significance following the recent Nepal flash floods that claimed numerous lives and caused widespread devastation, highlighting the real and present danger that such events pose to the mountainous regions of South Asia. Experts warn that without proactive measures, similar disasters could impact Himachal Pradesh and neighboring states.