A reported outburst from a potentially dangerous glacial lake in Bhutan has triggered emergency warnings, with residents moved to safer ground as authorities assess the situation and monitor water levels downstream. The incident has also raised concerns in neighbouring India, where residents along the Sankosh River in West Bengal have been urged to evacuate as a precaution.The outburst was reported on Thursday evening at Chintaphu Lake, below Wakila Mountain in Lungo, Laya Gewog, in Bhutan's Gasa district.
Sirens were sounded to alert people living close to riverbanks.Shintaphu Lake is among Bhutan's 17 potentially dangerous glacial lakes. An official from the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) said a water-level monitoring station was located at Taktsimakhang, but no alert had been triggered there at the time of the initial reports.
The extent of the outburst and its downstream impact remained unclear.WHY SHINTAPHU LAKE POSES A RISKA glacial lake outburst flood, or GLOF, occurs when water stored in a lake formed by melting glaciers is suddenly released. The resulting surge can travel rapidly through mountain valleys, carrying debris and damaging settlements, roads and bridges.
Shintaphu Lake lies at the source of the Mo Chhu river system, which is part of the wider Punatsangchhu basin.WEST BENGAL ON ALERTIn India, West Bengal Forest Minister and Kumargram MLA Manoj Kumar Oraon urged residents living along the Sankosh River in Alipurduar district to move to safer locations. In a video message posted on Facebook, Oraon warned that a surge of water could reach the river in Kumargram within the next one to one-and-a-half hours.
He appealed to residents to evacuate as a precaution and cooperate with the administration.WHY THE SANKOSH RIVER MATTERSThe Sankosh, also known as the Gadadhar in parts of the region, flows from Bhutan into India and is important in northern West Bengal and adjoining Assam. A sudden rise in its water level could threaten riverside settlements, farmland, livestock and infrastructure.India and Bhutan cooperate on hydrological data-sharing and flood forecasting to help authorities prepare for potential flooding in downstream areas.The immediate priority is to establish the scale of the reported lake outburst and determine whether a significant surge is moving downstream.- Ends