Union Home Secretary reviews preparedness to deal with risks of GLOF in Himalayan states & Union Territories

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 03 (STC): Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi to review the preparedness to deal with the risks of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) and avalanches in the Himalayan states and Union Territories. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretaries of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and senior officers of State Disaster Management Authorities, besides senior officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority, Central Water Commission, Meteorological Department and Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment.
The meeting reviewed the increasing risk of floods due to glacial lake outburst floods in the Himalayan region. On this occasion, detailed discussions were held on the issue of early warning system, continuous monitoring of dangerous glacial lakes and ice-covered areas, identification of high-risk areas, planning of potential flood paths, issuing timely alerts, preparing for evacuation and further strengthening the emergency response system.
Representatives of the states and union territories apprised the meeting of their respective preparedness and risk reduction strategies. During this, the steps taken regarding monitoring of sensitive glacial lakes, strengthening the early warning system, timely dissemination of warnings to the final level, identification of potential flood water flow paths, keeping the local population prepared and deploying response resources in sensitive areas were presented.
The meeting also reviewed the specific vulnerabilities and risks of the state and UT. It was emphasized that the plans and measures prepared to deal with natural disasters should not be limited to the state level alone but should be implemented at the district and local levels, so that immediate action can be taken in any emergency.
Union Home Minister Govind Mohan stressed the need for continuous and proactive monitoring of sensitive glacial lakes and avalanche-prone areas, especially during times when the risks are expected to increase. He directed to maintain close coordination between state institutions, district administration and scientific and technical institutions so that prompt and effective action can be taken on the warnings issued.
He said that GLOF and avalanche preparedness should not be limited to just post-disaster response but should include hazard-based planning, advance safety measures and local level public preparedness. States and Union Territories were directed to regularly review their disaster management and evacuation plans, identify gaps in early warning and evacuation arrangements and complete necessary corrective measures before any possible severe weather or natural calamity.
The Union Home Secretary also stressed that the pace of implementation of GLOF mitigation plans approved by the Central Government for the states in the year 2024 should be further accelerated so that the potential losses due to natural disasters in the sensitive Himalayan regions can be reduced.
At the end of the meeting, inter-agency coordination should be continued, Instructions were given for regular exchange of information on threats, further strengthening of early warning systems, and enhancement of emergency response capabilities.
(Straight Talk Communications)