GLOF and Snow Avalanche Preparedness in the Himalayan Region
Prelims:
Geography &
Environment
Mains:
GS Paper III:
Disaster and disaster management
Current relevance:
The Union Home Secretary chaired a
meeting in New Delhi to review the preparedness of Himalayan States/UTs
against Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and snow avalanches.
Highlights:
1.
The preparedness review covered the Himalayan
States/UTs of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and
Jammu & Kashmir.
2. State/UT
authorities and key national institutions, to
strengthen coordinated preparedness against GLOFs and snow avalanches. It
includes,
·
Ministry
of Home Affairs (MHA)
·
National
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
·
Central
Water Commission (CWC)
·
India
Meteorological Department (IMD)
·
Defence
Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE)
3. Key
Areas of GLOF & Avalanche Preparedness:
·
Monitoring: Continuous
monitoring of vulnerable glacial lakes and snow-covered areas.
·
Risk Identification:
Identification of high-risk locations and vulnerable areas.
·
Flow-Path Planning:
Assessment and planning related to possible flow paths.
·
Early Warning: Strengthening
systems for timely detection and warning.
·
Last-Mile Alerts: Ensuring warnings
reach vulnerable communities in time.
·
Evacuation: Strengthening
evacuation preparedness before extreme events.
·
Response Resources:
Deployment of response resources in vulnerable locations.
a. Shift
Towards Risk-Informed Disaster Management:
·
GLOF and avalanche preparedness should move
beyond response-oriented measures towards risk-informed planning and
preventive mitigation.
·
Preparedness plans need to be regularly
reviewed to identify gaps in early-warning and evacuation arrangements.
·
Corrective measures should be undertaken
before an extreme event, rather than relying primarily on post-disaster
response.
·
Continuous and proactive monitoring becomes
particularly important during periods of heightened risk.
b. Community-Level
Disaster Preparedness:
·
Community preparedness is an
essential component of GLOF and avalanche risk reduction.
·
Early-warning mechanisms must be accompanied
by effective last-mile dissemination of alerts.
·
Mitigation measures need to translate into concrete
actions at district and local levels.
·
Effective evacuation arrangements can help
minimise loss of life and property in vulnerable Himalayan areas.
c. Inter-Agency
Coordination:
·
Close coordination is required among State
agencies, district administrations, scientific institutions and technical
institutions.
·
Risk information must be regularly shared
among concerned agencies.
·
Scientific warnings should be converted into prompt
and effective administrative action.
·
Coordination between monitoring, warning,
evacuation and response mechanisms is essential for comprehensive preparedness.
d. Strengthening
GLOF Mitigation:
·
States/UTs need to strengthen monitoring
of vulnerable glacial lakes and associated early-warning mechanisms.
·
The progress of GLOF mitigation projects
sanctioned by the Central Government in 2024 needs to be expedited.
·
Preparedness gaps in early warning,
evacuation and response mechanisms should be identified and corrected in
advance.
·
The overall approach should integrate risk
information, preventive mitigation, community preparedness and response
capacity to reduce disaster losses.
Source: PIB - https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2306291®=48&lang=1