Gangtok: Sikkim is monitoring 16 highly vulnerable glacial lakes and has installed sensors, automated weather stations and early warning systems to track changes in water levels and detect potential glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) risks, State Relief Commissioner Rinzing Chewang said on Monday.
The state has more than 400 glacial lakes, both large and small, of which 16 have been identified as highly vulnerable. Thirteen of these are located in North Sikkim and three in West Sikkim, Chewang said.
“We are continuously monitoring the lakes and have installed sensors in most of them to find out whether the volume of the glacial lake is increasing or not,” he said.
The monitoring network has also been strengthened with early warning systems and automated weather stations, particularly in North Sikkim, where most of the vulnerable lakes are located.
“In many places in North Sikkim, where the lakes are mostly situated, we have installed early warning systems and automated weather stations to inform us about any rise in the water level,” Chewang said.
Sikkim’s preparedness has assumed renewed significance following the recent glacier-related disaster in Nepal. Chewang drew parallels between the incident there and the chain of events that triggered the October 2023 South Lhonak GLOF in Sikkim.
“As you all know, a huge glacier fell down in Nepal, blocked the river and then later caused the flood. It affected the entire region. Something similar happened in Sikkim also,” he said.
At South Lhonak, a portion of a glacier fell into the lake, displacing a large volume of water and triggering catastrophic flooding downstream.
Chewang said the 2023 disaster prompted Sikkim to study GLOF risks in greater detail and strengthen its institutional capacity for disaster response.
“After the October flood due to the South Lhonak incident, we had the opportunity to study the subject in detail. We have built up our own capacity on how to handle this kind of situation,” he said.
Sikkim is now willing to share its experience with Nepal, he added.
“And, of course, we are ready to share our experience with Nepal also,” Chewang said.
Meanwhile, Sikkim has extended humanitarian assistance to Nepal following the disaster.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay on Monday flagged off a team of volunteers carrying relief materials to Nepal. The team includes doctors and is expected to visit affected areas, provide relief and assess the situation on the ground.
Golay said Sikkim’s decision to assist Nepal was influenced by the support the state received following the South Lhonak disaster in 2023.
“When the disaster occurred in Sikkim in 2023, there was extensive loss and damage. At that time, Sikkim received a great deal of assistance from the Government of India and also from Nepal and other places,” he said.
He said the assistance was also intended as a humanitarian gesture towards Nepal.
“Keeping this in mind, and as a humanitarian gesture, we want to help Nepal and extend a hand of cooperation,” Golay said.
On disaster preparedness in Sikkim, the chief minister said the state was working with its Science and Technology Department and central government agencies to strengthen prevention and preparedness measures.
He said the Centre had also asked Sikkim to further develop the model it had established following the South Lhonak disaster.
The state is also working on measures for vulnerable areas, including low-lying locations, as well as relocation of residents where necessary, Golay said. Restoration and reconstruction works funded by the Centre have also begun, he added.
The Sikkim team also includes three officials from the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), including two deputy directors, Chewang said.
The officials will assess the situation in Nepal and explore ways in which Sikkim can provide further assistance.
“They are very experienced people. They will go to Nepal and they will also see what is happening there and how we can assist,” Chewang said.
The team will also assist local authorities in search-and-rescue operations wherever required, he added.
Sikkim has significantly strengthened its GLOF preparedness since the South Lhonak disaster, including scientific assessments and monitoring of high-risk glacial lakes in North and West Sikkim.
Recent state-led expeditions have focused on vulnerable lakes and included scientific investigations aimed at improving hazard assessment, monitoring and mitigation planning.
The state’s current approach combines scientific assessment with real-time monitoring and early warning mechanisms. Its experience in managing the aftermath of the 2023 South Lhonak GLOF is also increasingly being positioned as a resource that could benefit other Himalayan regions facing similar glacial and climate-related risks.
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