Gangtok – In direct response to the escalating climate crisis impacting the Eastern Himalayas, the government of Sikkim is taking extensive measures to fortify its disaster preparedness and management framework. The devastating Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) from the South Lhonak Lake in October 2023 which tragically destroyed the Teesta-III dam and caused the River Teesta’s water level to rise by up to 20 feet downstream has driven the state to focus on building resilience through advanced warning systems, specialized rescue training, and deep community involvement.
The state is prioritizing enhanced operational readiness for high-altitude emergencies. This includes specialized training in ropeway rescues being conducted regularly, even outside the usual monsoon season, in collaboration with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
GLOF Risk Reduction and Mobilization Strategy
Following the catastrophic 2023 disaster, which affected four districts Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong, and Namchi Sikkim launched a comprehensive GLOF risk reduction strategy:
• Training & Deployment: The state has mobilized ground-level forces, thoroughly training dedicated disaster management cadres (assistants, supervisors, and coordinators) for rescue services. Recently, some 250 such cadres from Gangtok were trained in high-altitude rescue operations.
• Early Warning Infrastructure: The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) has installed automated weather stations at vulnerable lakes to transmit real-time data, supplementing regular water discharge information provided by the Central Water Commission.
• Continuous Drills: Rapid rescue and evacuation drills are conducted every quarter. For instance, a drill at the upcoming NIT campus focused on learning how to channellise natural streams (joras) to manage heavy rainfall events. Evacuation is also routinely carried out during the monsoon season whenever water levels rise.
Prabhakar Rai, Director of the SSDMA, emphasized the necessity of these measures, stating that preparing people on awareness, mobilization, and preparedness for GLOFs and landslides is always a priority, especially given the state’s location in the vulnerable seismic zone IV a high damage risk zone which makes it highly susceptible to multi-hazard cascading events (earthquakes triggering landslides or GLOFs).
Community and School Preparedness
The state is integrating its preparedness efforts across society:
• Community Mapping: A Participatory Rural Appraisal exercise was conducted at \text{19} vulnerable locations along the River Teesta basin, involving communities in the preparation of evacuation maps and awareness campaigns for GLOF scenarios.
• Education and Awareness: Disaster drills, known as Familiarisation Exercises (Femex), are common in schools. Furthermore, at the PM SHRI Government Senior Secondary School in Soreng district, an automatic weather monitoring instrument has been installed on the rooftop. This allows students to analyze daily rainfall, temperature, and wind direction, integrating climate awareness and hands-on training into the curriculum.
Experts, including Raghu Murtugudde, Emeritus Professor at the University of Maryland, note that the changing rainfall pattern characterized by heavy precipitation in short periods is increasingly triggering flash floods and cloudbursts that cause landslides. As weather anomalies become more palpable, Sikkim’s investment in preparedness is recognized as a vital step towards risk mitigation and long-term recovery strategies.