New Delhi: The Central Government is monitoring 2,485 glacial lakes across the Himalayan river basins using remote sensing technology, with 56 lakes classified as “very high risk” due to their potential to trigger Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), the Centre informed Parliament.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said the Central Water Commission (CWC) monitors glacial lakes larger than 10 hectares across four Himalayan states and two Union Territories from June to October every year through satellite based monitoring.
The minister said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in collaboration with national scientific agencies, carried out a scientific assessment of 189 high risk glacial lakes across the Indian Himalayan Region in 2025. Based on the findings, 56 lakes were categorised as “very high risk” after considering their potential to trigger GLOFs and the exposure of downstream populations and infrastructure.
To strengthen disaster preparedness, the government has initiated the establishment of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Early Warning Systems at selected high risk lakes based on hazard assessments and continuous monitoring. However, the minister clarified that no end to end GLOF Early Warning System has yet been commissioned under the National GLOF Risk Mitigation Programme (NGRMP).
Approved in 2024, the NGRMP is being implemented by the NDMA in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh with a total outlay of ₹150 crore. The programme includes hazard and risk assessments, monitoring and early warning systems, structural and non-structural mitigation measures, as well as community awareness and capacity-building initiatives.
Choudhary said ₹52.50 crore has been allocated specifically for the monitoring and early warning systems component of the programme.
He also noted that the NDMA, in partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), conducted multi agency expeditions to the high risk South Lhonak and Shako Cho glacial lakes in Sikkim during 2023 and 2024. The expeditions supported scientific studies and the development of monitoring systems, early warning mechanisms and mitigation measures to reduce GLOF risks.