Guwahati: Amid heightened concerns over extreme weather and flood risks in the Himalayan region, including recent developments in neighbouring Nepal, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review preparedness across Himalayan states and Jammu & Kashmir against Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and snow avalanches.
The meeting brought together Chief Secretaries and State Disaster Management Authorities of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority, Central Water Commission, India Meteorological Department and Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment.
The review comes as the Himalayan region remains vulnerable to extreme rainfall, glacial lake breaches, flash floods and avalanches, with authorities focusing on strengthening systems to detect and respond to such hazards before they turn into disasters.
The meeting assessed the monitoring of vulnerable glacial lakes and snow-covered areas, identification of high-risk locations and flood flow paths, early-warning systems, timely dissemination of alerts, evacuation preparedness and response mechanisms.
States and the Union Territory presented their preparedness and mitigation measures, including surveillance of vulnerable glacial lakes, last-mile dissemination of warnings, flow-path planning, community preparedness and deployment of response resources in vulnerable areas.
Mohan emphasised the need for continuous and proactive monitoring of glacial lakes and avalanche-prone areas, particularly during periods of heightened risk.
He called for closer coordination between state agencies, district administrations and scientific and technical institutions to ensure warnings translate into timely action on the ground.
The Home Secretary stressed that preparedness must move beyond a response-oriented approach towards risk-informed planning, preventive mitigation and community-level preparedness.
States and UTs were also advised to regularly review evacuation and early-warning arrangements, identify gaps and take corrective measures ahead of extreme events.
Mohan further directed States to expedite GLOF mitigation projects sanctioned by the Central Government in 2024, underscoring the need to translate approved mitigation measures into concrete action.
The meeting concluded with directions for stronger inter-agency coordination, regular sharing of risk information and enhanced early-warning and response mechanisms to minimise loss of life and property across vulnerable Himalayan areas.