The National Green Tribunal (NGT), taking suo motu cognizance of a news report, has recently issued a notice to the central government regarding the alarming increase in Himalayan glacial lakes, which have expanded by approximately 10.81% over the past 13 years due to rising temperatures.
What are Glacial Lakes?
About: A glacial lake is a water body formed from a glacier, usually located at its base, but it can also develop on, within, or beneath the glacier.
Formation: Glacial lakes form when glaciers erode the land, creating depressions that fill with meltwater as the glacier retreats.
Natural dams, made of ice ,can also form glacial lakes, but these dams can be unstable and prone to bursting, leading to potential flooding.
Glacial Lake Expansion: The NGT highlighted the report’s finding that the surface area of glacial lakes in India has increased by 33.7% from 2011 to 2024, with 67 lakes identified as high-risk for GLOFs (glacial lake outburst floods).
This poses a significant threat to infrastructure and human lives in regions like Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Causes of Himalayan Glacial Lakes Expansion:
Global warming is raising temperatures in the Himalayas, which accelerates glacier melting.
Retreating glaciers contributes water to lakes and exposes new land surfaces, facilitating the formation of new glacial lakes.
Cases of GLOF in India
In June 2013, Uttrakhand had received an unusual amount of rainfall leading to the melting of the Chorabari glacier and the eruption of the Mandakini river.
In August 2014, a glacial lake outburst flood hit the village of Gya in Ladakh.
In October 2023, the South Lhonak Lake, a glacial lake located at an altitude of 17,000 feet in the state’s northwest, experienced a rupture as a result of continuous rainfall.
Read more: GG Tau A System
