Guwahati : A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in Bhutan has triggered a high flood alert in Assam and West Bengal.
Residents were asked to evacuate from vulnerable areas along the Sankosh river and its tributaries following which people were seen leaving their homes along with their cattle in Alipurduar district of West Bengal.
The outburst occurred at Shintaphu Lake in Bhutan’s Lemthang region.
This has sent a massive volume of water from the lake into the Mo (Mofu) river, which flows into the Sankosh.
Atleast 7.4 million cubic metres of water reportedly surged out of the breached lake, raising fears of a sudden rise in the Sankosh’s water level along the border area of Assam and also at West Bengal.
Officials said the flood surge could reach border areas within six to eight hours, potentially inundating vulnerable settlements in West Bengal and Assam.
Teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been kept on alert for rescue and relief operations
The development has also raised concerns over the Punatsangchhu hydropower project, a major India-Bhutan joint venture, as a sudden rise in river levels could pose risks to hydropower infrastructure.
In a special advisory issued on Thursday, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti said the Indian Embassy had reported a GLOF in Shintaphu Lake in Bhutan’s Punatsangchhu river basin.
Following reports of flash floods in the river’s upper reaches, the ministry warned that water levels in the Sankosh could rise suddenly in Assam’s Dhubri and West Bengal’s Alipurduar districts.
Dhubri district has been placed on alert over possible downstream effects of the GLOF.
The Sankosh river, which flows through Dhubri, could witness a sudden rise in water levels, prompting the district administration and disaster response teams to step up vigilance.
“We are closely monitoring the possible impact of the glacial lake outburst in Bhutan across all vulnerable revenue circles of Dhubri and Kokrajhar,” the Chief Minister’s Office said in a post on social media
“Our teams are also in constant contact with the NDRF and other agencies, and are ready to respond if needed. Residents are requested to stay alert, follow official updates and cooperate with local officials,” it added.
No casualty has been reported in Bhutan, but the gush of water washed out entire facilities at Gasa Tshachu, a popular natural hot spring located near the banks of the Mo Chhu River in the Gasa District.