Sikkim Flood: There were warnings of Lhonak Lake breaking for years, and many researches and campaigns had said that disaster would come.

Many scientific researches and campaigns published in the last two decades have warned about the breaking of Sikkim's Lhonak Lake. Studies by government and non-government agencies also predicted large numbers of deaths and losses in glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).

ISRO had expressed fear of 42% accident

In 2012, India's space agency ISRO, in collaboration with the Remote Sensing Centre, had warned that a gap in South Lhonak Lake, formed by a moraine dam, could prove dangerous. Given the data, it was said that the possibility of flood from here is 42 percent, and if the tip of the lake breaks, water will flow at the speed of 586 cubic meters per second.

The government report also warned

In 2016, the Science and Technology Department of the government, in a report prepared with the help of NGOs, expressed the fear of disaster from the lake. Assistant Professor of Government College. Delhiram Dahal says that after this the government made arrangements to drain the water in a controlled manner by installing pipes in the lake, but it was inadequate.

Elsevier explained the changes in the lake

A study published in Elsevier Journal in 2021 explained the changes taking place in Lhonak Lake in great detail. Told that, in 46 years from 1962 to 2008, the South Lhonak glacier decreased by 2 km, while between 2008 to 2019 it decreased by 400 meters. All its water and debris reached Lhonak Lake. The data made it clear that there is a danger of GOLF.

Thousands affected by floods in Sikkim

The flood in Teesta River caused by a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake on Wednesday caused massive devastation in North Sikkim. The death toll has increased to 19, while 103 people are still missing. 11 bridges were washed away in the state due to floods. This also includes eight bridges in the Mangan district alone. At the same time, two bridges in Namchi and one in Gangtok were washed away. Water pipelines, sewer lines, and 277 kutcha and pucca houses were damaged in the four affected districts of the state. Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) said 59 people were missing in Pakyong, 22 from Gangtok, 16 from Mangan, and five from Namchi. SSDMA said that a total of 26 people were injured during this period. A cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim caused a flash flood in the Teesta River, causing a huge accumulation of water that flowed towards the Chungthang Dam. The strong flow of water destroyed power plant infrastructure and flooded low-lying towns and villages.

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