Sikkim Identifies 40 High-Hazard Glacial Lakes Amid Outburst Risks
· India · The Hindu, India Today, Hindustan Times
The Sikkim government has identified 40 high-hazard glacial lakes, classifying 16 of them as being at the highest risk of catastrophic outbursts. Principal Secretary Sandeep Tambe stated during a media sensitisation workshop in Gangtok on September 4, 2026, that remote sensing and satellite imagery are being used to monitor lake expansion. Of the total high-hazard lakes, 16 fall into Category A for highest risk, two into Category B for high risk, and nine into Category C for moderate to low risk. The assessment follows recent flash floods in Nepal and a devastating Glacial Lake Outburst Flood in Sikkim in October 2023 that caused 60 fatalities and destroyed the Chungthang dam.
Why it matters
Communities and vital hydropower infrastructure downstream in Sikkim remain vulnerable to sudden glacial lake outburst floods driven by Himalayan glacier retreat.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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