Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:19am on 31 Aug 2026,Monday India
India is monitoring 195 glacial lakes considered vulnerable to sudden flooding, but Nepal’s recent deadly glacier collapse has highlighted another risk that is only beginning to be mapped. A May 2026 IISc study identified 219 hanging glaciers in Uttarakhand’s Alaknanda basin, some above busy pilgrimage routes. Collapse simulations showed potential flow heights of up to 51 metres near Badrinath. India has expanded glacier-lake monitoring after the 2023 Sikkim disaster, while mitigation includes reducing lake water levels and testing warning systems. However, experts say ice collapses can trigger cascading disasters that current lake-focused monitoring may not directly capture. (PC: HT)
