What is the situation in Sikkim?
On 4th October 2023, flash floods occurred in Sikkim. This led to many people getting hurt. Some people also had to leave their homes. Some bridges were broken. The Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are helping people. The Indian Air Force is also ready to help the people in Sikkim.
Officials are concerned that the state may run out of food because many roads have been washed out and bridges destroyed. The Army is building temporary bridges to help people in the affected areas. Some areas in West Bengal have also been affected.
What’s the reason behind the flash flood?
The NDMA says the main reason for the flash floods is a combination of heavy rain and a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) at South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim. Scientists are still figuring out the exact cause of the flash flood.
South Lhonak Lake (a glacial lake) burst because of constant rains. This made a lot of water flow down the river, and it caused the water in the Teesta River to rise.
An official also said that a lot of water and debris hit the Chungthang dam. A portion of the dam and the bridge connecting it to the power station have been swept away. The dam breach might have caused a sudden increase in water levels.
What are glacial lakes and GLOF events?
Glacial lakes are large water bodies that form in front of, on top of, or beneath a melting glacier. Such lakes are generally blocked by unstable ice, loose rock, and debris.
As these lakes grow in size, their borders start to fall apart. This causes lots of water to rush down the mountains, causing floods. This is called a GLOF event, and it can happen because of things like earthquakes, really heavy rain, or ice avalanches.
In the Sikkim Himalayan region, the mountain ice is melting fast because the Earth is getting warmer. Government officials have been watching South Lhonak Lake for a long time. In 2016, they tried to take some water out of the lake. However, the disaster still happened. The floods got even worse because the Chungthang dam broke, increasing water levels very quickly.
Let’s hope that the state of Sikkim recovers from this disaster soon.
