While the Himalayan state in eastern India continues to experience intense rainfall, the government of Sikkim is requesting assistance from Indian remote sensing agencies and satellite imagery to monitor susceptible glacial lakes in an attempt to prevent a recurrence of the 2023 disaster.
“We are using satellite imagery to monitor 3–4 glacial lakes in the high-altitude regions of North Sikkim. For this reason, the National Remote Sensing Centre and the State Science and Technology Department are in constant touch. We receive updates on the glacial lakes on a regular basis,” Sikkim’s chief secretary, VB Pathak, told reporters.
In the Mangan district (North Sikkim), 220 millimetres of rain occurred between Wednesday and Thursday morning. This caused numerous landslides in the Pakshep and Ambhithang areas, which killed at least six people. Communication and power lines broke.
“We have not yet received any information regarding the weather in North Sikkim due to broken communication cables. However, North Sikkim is still seeing a lot of rain,” said an IMD official in Gangtok.
A devastating flash flood that struck the state in October 2023 was caused by the glacial lake outburst of South Lhonak Lake, which is situated in north Sikkim at an elevation of 5,245 metres. The 1,200 MW Teesta Urja dam downstream detonated when floodwaters and debris struck it.
When the River Teesta overflowed its banks, almost 100 people were killed, and numerous others were reported missing downstream. Additionally, at least 33 bridges were exploded.
“Staff members of our border security organisations, including the ITBP, are also stationed in the high-altitude areas. They’re keeping an eye on things too. They will notify the authorities right away if they notice any rise in the water level in the rivers and canals in the upper reaches, and those in the lower reaches who live along the banks of the Teesta River may need to evacuate,” said Pathak.
Authorities stated that prior to the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), an Advanced Warning System (AWS) at South Lhonak Lake, which was deployed less than a month before the 2023 tragedy, had not alerted anyone.
“In 2023, two of these systems were set up at Shako Cho Lake and South Lhonak Lake. Sadly, there was no early warning system provided by the system prior to the October 3 eruption. It was most likely malfunctioning when the incident happened,” stated a senior disaster management authority official of Sikkim.
A strong response and evacuation strategy created by the Sikkim government for such disasters, including GLOF, dam break, and cloud burst, enabled to evacuate many people just in time, even though the machines had failed to generate an early alarm.
“We created specific response and evacuation models for towns that are at risk, and we regularly perform campaigns, computer simulations, and mock drills to inform the public about the plan. They are aware of exactly where to go and what to do in the wake of an alarm,” said a senior official.
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