Officials announced that after the monsoon season, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will launch ground surveys to assess the vulnerability of glacial lakes, prompted by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in Sikkim in October 2023. The surveys, targeting select lakes at high altitudes, aim to understand and mitigate risks associated with GLOFs, which can cause significant damage downstream. Remote sensing data indicates notable expansion of many Himalayan glacial lakes, highlighting the region's vulnerability to climate change impacts.
