Government agency to study the risks of floods from glacial lake outburst

NEW DELHI: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) will be studying the risks caused by floods emanating from glacial lake outburst in the Himalayan states. The GSI will start with remote sensing studies of moraine dam lakes in Uttarakhand, which saw devastating flood earlier this year.

Minister of Mines, Dinsha Patel said GSI proposed an initial two year project over 2014-15 and 2015-16. "After completing Uttarakhand mapping project, similar work will be taken up for other Himalayan states - Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh," the minister told Parliament.

The mapping work will compile a complete inventory of glacial lakes of Uttarakhand Himalaya.

The Ministry however wasn't sure of how long it would take to map the entire Himalayan region nor did these projects have separate funds allotted. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand would be covered in a phased manner and no clear time schedule could be spelt out at this stage, Patel added.

GSI initiated mapping of moraine-dammed lakes in the Himalayan catchments to assess risk of glacial lake outburst floods risk assessment in 2007-08.

During the period it carried out preliminary inventory of glacial lakes in Chandrabhaga basin in Lahaul-Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh, the Minister informed the Parliament.

GSI did mapping work for the "particularly risky lake, the Gepang Gath Glacial Lake, in 2008, 2012 and 2013 field seasons and sent it report to the Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh for preventive remedial measures.

The objective of the proposed study is to identify high-risk areas related to outburst of Moraine dam lakes which could be potentially dangerous to human settlements and structures in downstream areas.