“The finding which emerged was that broad glaciated valleys exist below all these high-risk lakes, which are ideally located to create retention structures to contain the GLOF hazard. The next step would be to prepare a DPR for GLOF risk reduction for funding support from NDMA,” the Sikkim government said on Tuesday.
The expedition from August 31 to September 14, 2024, targeted the high-risk glacial lakes in the upper reaches of Mangan district. In a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, the expedition assessed the flood susceptibility of the six high-risk glacial lakes, to mitigate the potential hazards of GLOF, officials said.
The six Category-A high-risk lakes include Chumilamcha Chho, Khangchung Chho, Lachen Khangtse, Lachung Khangtse, La Tsho, and Shako Chho. Khangchung Chho, the largest lake in the state, is located at an altitude of 5,320 metres, has a surface area of 183 hectares, and has an estimated volume of 106 million cubic meters.
Six state departments, two central government agencies (GSI, CWC), the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), and the Sikkim University were part of the study, the Sikkim government said in a statement. The Indian Army Mountain Division, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB), and the Mangan district administration provided essential ground support, including medical assistance, official said. The expedition was led by senior officers and eminent scientists who guided the team of 34 multidisciplinary experts, including five women.
