Nepal flood disaster fallout, India assesses preparedness
NEW DELHI: Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan presided over a meeting in New Delhi Thursday to assess the preparedness of Himalayan States and Union Territories (UTs) against Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and snow avalanches. Key participants included Chief Secretaries and officials from the State Disaster Management Authorities of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir besides senior representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority, Central Water Commission, India Meteorological Department and Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment.
The discussion focused on the increasing threats posed to GLOFs in the region highlighting the importance of early warning systems, monitoring at-risk glacial lakes, identifying high-risk areas and ensuring timely alerts and evacuation protocols. Each participating State/UT outlined its strategies for addressing these issues, which included enhancing monitoring capabilities for vulnerable glacial lakes, improving early warning communications, planning evacuation routes and fostering community preparedness.
The need for proactive and ongoing monitoring of vulnerable areas, particularly during heightened risk periods, was strongly recommended.
The Union Home Secretary encouraged states to enhance inter-agency coordination to ensure swift action on warnings and effective disaster response. He urged a shift from merely reactive measures to more comprehensive strategies that include risk-informed planning and community-level initiatives to bolster resilience against potential disasters.
He insisted that States regularly evaluate their preparedness plans, identify shortcomings in warning and evacuation strategies and address these deficiencies in advance of significant weather events. The acceleration of GLOF mitigation projects approved by the Central Government for 2024 was also underscored.
The meeting ended with a directive to strengthen inter-agency collaboration, routinely share risk information and improve early warning and response capabilities to reduce the potential loss of life and property in the vulnerable Himalayan region.