‘Ticking time bombs’: Sikkim floods a reminder of why locals opposed dams in the Himalayas for years
The damage caused by the glacial lake outburst flood was compounded by the presence of a string of dams in the Teesta river basin in the Himalayan state.
What are Glacier Lake Outburst Floods? How do infrastructure projects like the Chungthang dam affect the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayas? Can such events be predicted and prevented?
Deadly Himalayan Glacial Outburst Flood Foretold, With More Coming "Search & rescue operations are continuing in the Indian state of #Sikkim in the #Himalayas after extreme rain & possibly earthquake tremors led to the Oct. 4th collapse of an ice blockade holding back a glacial lake. The resulting "glacial lake outburst flood" collapsed a hydroelectric dam & swept through populous mountain communities. Indian officials said floodwaters were 15 to 20 feet deep in places." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLvcQO33GMQ
#Sikkim#India#Chungthang#HydroDam
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“The breach has led to the release of an astonishing 5.08 million cubic metres of water from the hydro reservoir; and this deluge is now hurtling down the mountains, causing alarm among nearby communities.
“The scale of this breach is a matter of grave concern, with potential consequences ranging from environmental damage to the displacement of residents downstream.”
All homes near the banks of the Teesta River washed away by flooding from glacial overflow, confirms chief minister of the state of #Sikkim in NE #India.
"With the rising global temperatures, #glaciers in #Sikkim Himalayan have been melting rapidly, giving rise to many #GlacierLakes and expanding the already existing ones in the region. There are currently more than 300 glacial lakes in Sikkim Himalayan. Out of these, 10 have been identified as vulnerable to outburst #floods."
"Glaciologists and agencies that monitor #GlacialLakes are asking why no early warning systems were put in place, given the importance of the Teesta-III hydropower project, which supplied electricity to practically the whole of northern #Sikkim."
As glacial lakes are swelling with #ClimateChange boosted meltwater, it makes sense to put warning systems in place, and have resilience and evacuation plans.
Flash #floods in #Sikkim have claimed 14 civilian lives so far, while 102 people are missing, including 22 Army personnel.
The Teesta River in spate has reportedly caused 14 bridges to collapse and stranded over 3,000 tourists in the state.
The flash floods were triggered on Wednesday by a glacial lake outburst due to incessant rains, which breached the Chungthang dam, Sikkim's largest hydropower project. https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/india/sikkim-flash-floods-14-dead-22-armymen-among-102-missing/story
Update: Ten people confirmed dead and 83 missing, including 23 military personnel, from flash flooding, according to the chief secretary of #Sikkim, who adds 14 major bridges in the small state in NE #India have been destroyed and one dam in Chungthang (in the northern part of the state) is damaged.
National Medical Commission’s latest order on seat allocation viewed as unfair to southern States
The recommendation that colleges seeking approval from the National Medical Commission should follow the ratio of 100 MBBS seats per 10 lakh population will punish States that have performed well on this front and undermine federalism in healthcare, say doctors.