Sikkim witnessed a devastating flash flood on Wednesday, resulting in the loss of 40 lives and the destruction of a critical 1200 MW hydroelectric power station. The flash flood was caused by a cloudburst over a glacial lake located at an altitude of over 17,000 feet in the Himalayas. The Sikkim government has been working tirelessly over the past few days to rescue people, restore communication, and rebuild infrastructure. However, it has now come to light that there were multiple warnings of such disasters, including the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) event at the South Lhonak Lake.
According to a Parliamentary Committee, there is a severe shortage of meteorological and monitoring stations in the Himalayan regions. In March, Parliament was informed that Sikkim has 694 glacial lakes and only eight flood forecasting stations, three for water levels and five for inflows. The report titled “Glacier Management in the Country: Monitoring of Glaciers/Lakes, Including Glacial Lake Outbursts Leading to Flashfloods, in the Himalayan Region” highlighted that the Himalayan-Karakoram region is warming at a faster rate (0.5 degrees C) than the global average. The report warned Parliament that this would result in accelerated melting of glaciers.
The findings of this report align with previous research papers, one from 2013 and another from 2021. Both papers noted that the South Lhonak glacier, which feeds the burst lake, has been receding over the years, increasing the amount of water in the lake. The lead scientist of the 2013 paper mentioned that the increasing glacial run-off had expanded the lake’s surface area by 500 meters and average depth by 50 meters. Satellite images released by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) indicated that approximately 100 hectares of water had burst from the lake.
The Parliamentary Committee also noted that the monitoring of glaciers and glacial lakes in the Himalayas is not as intensive as it should be due to their remote locations. This emphasizes the need for a robust early warning system. The report emphasized that the thinning of Himalayan glaciers has accelerated in recent years, resulting in increased glacier melt. The Committee called for more research institutes and increased budgetary allocations to address this issue.
Meanwhile, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has attributed the destruction of the Chungthang Dam, the hydroelectric project, to “inferior construction” by the previous government. He stated that the dam had been completely damaged and washed out, and the inferior construction led to the dam breaking and causing further floods in Lower Sikkim.
In summary, the devastating flash flood in Sikkim highlights the need to address the shortage of meteorological and monitoring stations in the Himalayan regions. The accelerated melting of glaciers and the increasing risk of glacial lake outbursts require a robust early warning system and greater investment in research. Additionally, ensuring quality construction is crucial to prevent further disasters.