Bhutan Glacial Lake Outburst Triggers Flood Alerts Across Assam and North Bengal

On Thursday night, a glacial lake in the high Himalayas of Bhutan burst its limits. The outburst was reported from Sintaphu Lake, and within hours flood alerts went out across low-lying districts of North Bengal and Assam, downstream along the Sankosh River and its tributaries.

State Minister Nisith Pramanik, speaking to ANI, said residents along the Sankosh and its tributaries had been alerted and advised to move to a safe distance immediately. He said the water was expected to reach the plains within five to six hours, creating a high risk of significant flooding. The State Disaster Management Team had been activated, the NDRF had been notified, and disaster management volunteers were instructed to be present on-site. The government, he said, was taking proactive measures and monitoring the situation closely to prevent any loss of life or property.

The districts named as being at potential risk are Alipurduar in West Bengal and Dhubri in Assam, where the water level could rise suddenly. Alerts were also issued in many parts of North Bengal, including the Darjeeling hills, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts.

On the ground in Alipurduar, Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Shaw urged residents not to panic. He told ANI that the situation was under control and that officials were in constant contact with authorities in Bhutan. Police, the District Magistrate and the Block Development Officer, each with their teams, were working with other agencies in close coordination. An SDRF team was present, an NDRF team was on its way, and a Civil Defence team had been deployed.

The human movement has been considerable. Shaw said roughly 4,000 to 5,000 people had already been moved into shelters, with school buildings serving as relief centres. He added that more than 6,000 people had been relocated to safe areas in total. The police, the DM's office and the BDO's office arranged dry food and drinking water, and made sure basic necessities such as toilet facilities were provided.

The latest information, Shaw said, suggested the intensity of the flow had decreased slightly based on the current movement of water, but authorities remained on high alert. A red alert was in effect for the Sankosh river system. He said officials would look at the situation again in two hours and described the administration as fully prepared for any emergency.

What the reports do not yet say is how much water has actually left the lake, or what has reached the plains. The next two hours, when officials plan to reassess, will show whether the easing in intensity holds as the water moves downstream.