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Alipurduar on Alert After Bhutan’s Glacial Lake Burst Triggers Flood Warning
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 30 Oct 2026, 03:02 AM
👁 18
Authorities in Alipurduar district issued a flood alert following a sudden outburst of a glacial lake in Bhutan, raising concerns of downstream flooding.
A sudden outburst of a glacial lake in Bhutan has prompted officials in Alipurduar district of West Bengal to issue a flood alert. The lake burst sent a surge of water across the international border, raising the level of rivers that flow into the district.
District disaster management officials, along with police and the National Disaster Response Force, have been placed on standby to monitor river flows and coordinate any necessary evacuations. Early warning systems have been activated to keep residents informed.
Residents in low‑lying villages along the Kalikhola and other tributaries have been advised to stay alert, move valuables to higher ground, and cooperate with authorities should evacuation become necessary. Local schools and community centres are being used as temporary shelters if required.
The incident underscores the trans‑border nature of glacial lake outburst floods in the Himalayas, prompting calls for closer coordination between Indian and Bhutanese agencies on early warning and disaster response.
District disaster management officials, along with police and the National Disaster Response Force, have been placed on standby to monitor river flows and coordinate any necessary evacuations. Early warning systems have been activated to keep residents informed.
Residents in low‑lying villages along the Kalikhola and other tributaries have been advised to stay alert, move valuables to higher ground, and cooperate with authorities should evacuation become necessary. Local schools and community centres are being used as temporary shelters if required.
The incident underscores the trans‑border nature of glacial lake outburst floods in the Himalayas, prompting calls for closer coordination between Indian and Bhutanese agencies on early warning and disaster response.