The Uttarakhand government has formed a “working group” to monitor and mitigate risks posed by sensitive glacial lakes across the ecologically fragile Himalayan region. State sets up working group under NGRMP to track glacial lakes, assess risks and strengthen early warning systems against GLOF threats.
The move follows Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s directions to adopt scientific and technology-driven measures to manage potential disasters, particularly Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).
The working group, formed under the National Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Risk Mitigation Programme (NGRMP), will oversee monitoring, risk assessment and mitigation efforts for 13 identified high-risk glacial lakes in Uttarakhand.
Experts and senior geoscientists from multiple institutions, including the Central Building Research Institute, Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, National Institute of Hydrology, Uttarakhand Space Application Centre, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, National Remote Sensing Centre, and the Geological Survey of India, are part of the working group.
The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, is designated as the nodal agency for the initiative.
Under the project, the working group will focus on developing advanced monitoring systems, establishing early warning systems (EWS), conducting research and technical studies, and implementing coordinated mitigation measures.
A total budget of ₹9 crore has been approved for the initiative. Of this, ₹7.80 crore will be allocated to the Wadia Institute for procurement of equipment, satellite imagery, software development, computational infrastructure, fieldwork and human resource strengthening.
An additional ₹1.20 crore will be routed through the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority to support field surveys, awareness campaigns, capacity-building programmes, and settlement of prior expenditures.
Officials said the project is being implemented in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority, with the objective of minimising risks from glacial lake-related disasters and establishing a robust, time-bound early warning mechanism.