.png)
The meeting reviewed the evolving risk of GLOFs—sudden floods that occur when a natural dam holding a glacial lake collapses—in the Himalayan region, with particular emphasis on early warning, monitoring of vulnerable glacial lakes and identification of high-risk locations.
The catastrophic deluge in Nepal killed more than 1,200 people and left thousands missing.(Reuters)New Delhi: The government on Thursday reviewed India’s preparedness to deal with glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), days after a glacier collapse triggered a catastrophic deluge in Nepal that killed more than 1,200 people and left thousands missing.
The review meeting, chaired by Union home secretary Govind Mohan, was attended by state government officials and key central government bodies such as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Central Water Commission, the India Meteorological Department and the Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment, a home ministry statement said.
The meeting reviewed the evolving risk of GLOFs—sudden floods that occur when a natural dam holding a glacial lake collapses—in the Himalayan region, with particular emphasis on early warning, monitoring of vulnerable glacial lakes and snow-covered areas, identification of high-risk locations, flow path, timely dissemination of alerts, evacuation preparedness and strengthening of response mechanisms, the statement said.
Officials in the meeting decided to strengthen India’s early warning and response mechanisms to minimize loss of life and property in the event of such a calamity.
India’s review of preparedness against GLOFs follows devastating flash floods in Nepal triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas. India and Nepal share a 1,770km border, with the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim sharing boundaries with Nepal.
The review focused on the preparedness of the Himalayan states and Union territories against GLOFs and snow avalanches, as per the home ministry statement.
“The Union Home Secretary stressed that preparedness for GLOFs and snow avalanches must move beyond response-oriented measures towards risk-informed planning, preventive mitigation and community-level preparedness,” the statement said. The senior government official also highlighted that states need to expedite the progress of GLOF mitigation project sanctioned for the states by the central government in 2024.
Research by reinsurance company Swiss Re for India in July 2025 showed that floods accounted for about 67% of all economic losses from natural catastrophes in India over the preceding two decades. A 2023 report by Swiss Re also pegged India’s economic loss from natural calamities at $12 billion, attributed mainly to floods and cyclone activity.
Strengthen systems
Experts say India can take further steps to monitor glacial lakes and strengthen early warning systems. “GLOFs are accelerating, and becoming more frequent, due to the effects of global warming coupled with pollution. Some preventive measures, such as constant monitoring of glacial lakes, can be undertaken. But there are challenges in doing so. Watching 2,000-odd glacial lakes would require considerable manpower, or technological assistance from drones. In light of the Nepal flash floods, a standard operating procedure for citizens in case of GLOFs or related floods could help,” said Raghu Murtugudde, professor emeritus at the University of Maryland and a visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.
“People residing at considerable distances downstream from unstable glacial lakes are facing serious threats to their lives and property. Flash floods and GLOFs have killed thousands in many parts of the world. Some of the largest events have occurred in the Indian Himalayas, such as the Kedarnath disaster in Uttarakhand (2013) and Parechu river flash floods in Himachal Pradesh (2005). Despite these losses, disaster risk management related to GLOFs has not been mainstreamed into development policies and programmes,” said the NDMA’s 2020 Guidelines on management of GLOFs.
About the Author
Manas Pimpalkhare
Manas is a New Delhi-based journalist with Mint, where he covers the intersection of economic policy, industry, and emerging sectors shaping India’s growth. He writes on government regulation, manufacturing, and the clean energy transition, with particular depth in areas such as electric mobility, battery ecosystems, and rare-earth supply chains. He has written on India’s efforts to build domestic capacity in electric vehicles and energy storage, as well as the broader push to reduce import dependence and strengthen supply chain resilience. His reports are not limited to capturing the headline; they also aim to explain complex policy simply.<br><br>Manas has studied law in Pune, the city where he grew up, followed by a business journalism diploma from the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai. In his almost two years of being a correspondent for Mint, Manas has reported as major wars unfolded, a general election brought surprises for both the ruling party and the Opposition, and three Union Budget announcements where India has charted its economic course for the days to come.<br><br>On vacation, Manas plays bass guitar with his friends in Space & Co, their jam-rock band. He also likes cats, and occasions of late-night snacking.
English (US) ·