More than 6,000 people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas of West Bengal’s Alipurduar district following a warning from Bhutan about a possible glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). Residents were moved to higher ground and temporary shelters as authorities prepared for a potential rise in downstream river levels.
The alert followed an incident involving Shintaphu Lake in Bhutan’s Gasa district, raising concerns about a sudden surge of water in the Sankosh River, which flows into India. Several areas of West Bengal and Assam were placed on alert as a precaution.
District administrations began evacuating people living near riverbanks and in vulnerable forest villages, while emergency shelters and disaster response teams were put on standby.
Alipurduar Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Shaw said authorities had safely relocated around 6,000 to 7,000 people. More than 4,000 people were accommodated in local schools converted into relief shelters, where essential supplies, including dry rations and baby food, were arranged.
Police and district officials are maintaining direct communication with Bhutanese authorities and receiving regular updates on upstream water levels.
Shaw said the latest information indicated that water levels upstream had begun to recede, reducing the immediate risk of major flooding. However, officials continued to monitor the situation closely.
Villages including Sankosh, Biri Bari, Volka and Haldibari remained under observation, with police and disaster response teams deployed to respond to any emergency.
District officials reported that the water level in the Sankosh River had receded and stabilised, allowing some residents who had spent the night in relief centres to gradually return home.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also said the situation was normalising. He confirmed that all 47 people who had earlier been reported missing had been traced and were safe.
No major damage or casualties had been reported at the time of the update.
Despite the improvement, administrations in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri have continued monitoring river conditions and weather developments. Intermittent rainfall across the Dooars region and Bhutan’s foothills remains a concern, as additional rain could rapidly increase water levels downstream.
Public address systems have been used in vulnerable areas, including Nagrakata and Banarhat in Jalpaiguri, to warn residents and advise them to remain alert.
Civil Defence and State Disaster Response Force teams have also been deployed to coordinate relief operations and carry out further evacuations if necessary.
Officials said they are continuing to track real time hydrological information from Bhutan and keeping emergency arrangements ready to deal with any sudden rise in river levels.