Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)
As glaciers retreat, meltwater accumulates in glacial lakes dammed by loose moraine deposits. When these natural dams fail — due to seismic activity, avalanches, or progressive erosion — catastrophic outburst floods (GLOFs) can inundate downstream valleys within hours. India has over 7,500 glacial lakes in the Himalayas, with more than 200 classified as potentially dangerous by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The October 2023 South Lhonak GLOF in Sikkim, which destroyed the Teesta Stage-III dam and killed over 40 people, is the most recent large-scale event in India.
- NDMA has identified 190 high-risk glacial lakes and has initiated a three-year monitoring mission
- India launched automated weather and water stations (AWWS) in high-risk zones in 2024, relaying real-time data every 10 minutes
- 195 high-risk glacial lakes assessed by multi-institutional expeditions in 2024
- Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 guides India's GLOF risk management approach
● Tracked since March 10, 2026 · last seen June 28, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief