Arunachal team warns about Dungchhen Tso

After a two-day expedition, Arunachal Pradesh's expert team has concluded that Dungchhen Tso, a high-altitude lake situated above Bhaggajang pilgrimage site, is not a glacial lake, but has only one outlet.

The team has found that exit water flows towards another smaller lake, which ultimately flows towards Tombi pho near Nuranang. Dungchhen Tso may turn dangerous for settlements on the banks of Tawangchu river if outlet is blocked or in case of cloudbursts.

Tawangchhu is the main river of Tawang district. Two south flowing rivers from Tibet join this river in the district. From there this river flows into Bhutan and Assam.


Tawang's disaster management authority, led by deputy commissioner Kanki Darang, led the Dungchhen Tso expedition.

Dungchhen Tso is one of the largest lakes in the Bhaggajang area. Its length is more than one kilometre, with around five small lake islands in it. The people of Tawang and west Kameng consider these lakes sacred and visit them for pilgrimage.

Earlier, Tawang disaster management authority had reached the Sangnga Nehgu lake at 16,000 ft near the glacier on Gorichen mountain range and found that there was a glacial lake outburst near Sangnga Nehgu on August 14 which washed away more than five log bridges and damaged the Brokpa track at several locations.