📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Original: Yoghya
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Science
Sikkim Maps 40 High‑Hazard Glacial Lakes, 16 Tagged as Category A
✍️ The Statesman
🗓 05 Sep 2026, 07:33 AM
👁 25
The state government of Sikkim has catalogued 40 glacial lakes as high‑hazard, with 16 classified under the most dangerous Category A.
State authorities in Sikkim have completed a survey that lists 40 glacial lakes as high‑hazard sites. Among these, 16 lakes have been placed in Category A, the highest risk level for potential outburst floods.
Category A lakes are defined as those whose sudden breach could cause significant loss of life, damage to infrastructure and disruption to downstream communities. The identification enables targeted monitoring and prioritisation of safety measures.
The government says the data will feed into disaster‑risk reduction plans, including early‑warning systems, engineering works to reinforce lake outlets and community awareness programmes in vulnerable villages.
Experts note that climate‑induced glacial melt in the Himalayas is increasing the number and size of such lakes, making the survey a timely step toward mitigating future hazards.
Category A lakes are defined as those whose sudden breach could cause significant loss of life, damage to infrastructure and disruption to downstream communities. The identification enables targeted monitoring and prioritisation of safety measures.
The government says the data will feed into disaster‑risk reduction plans, including early‑warning systems, engineering works to reinforce lake outlets and community awareness programmes in vulnerable villages.
Experts note that climate‑induced glacial melt in the Himalayas is increasing the number and size of such lakes, making the survey a timely step toward mitigating future hazards.