Stories
Tawang Faces Flash Flood Threat: 7 High-Risk Glacial Lakes Identified in Mago Area
- •Seven high-risk glacial lakes in Arunachal Pradesh's Mago area pose a significant Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk to downstream communities.
- •APSDMA, DDMA Tawang, and SDRF launched an extensive awareness and training program on GLOF risks for vulnerable communities, including Mago village, Duri village, and the Indian Army camp.
- •Residents were briefed on lake locations, potential threats, and estimated floodwater arrival times, with emphasis on identifying safe evacuation routes and developing community-level plans.
- •Deputy Director Dorjee Khandu stressed the need for effective early-warning mechanisms and prompt dissemination of alerts, especially for Duri village, which would be among the first impacted.
- •Hands-on training in first aid, basic search and rescue techniques, and equipment use was provided by the SDRF, including mock drills for practical experience.
Key Questions Answered
The Arunachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), along with the DDMA and SDRF, has launched extensive awareness and training programmes on Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risks for vulnerable downstream communities. These initiatives include briefing residents on safe evacuation routes, establishing early-warning mechanisms, and conducting practical first aid and search-and-rescue drills.
Authorities have identified seven high-risk glacial lakes in the Mago area of Tawang district. Six of these lakes share a common downstream drainage system that passes through several habitations, placing settlements like Duri village directly in the potential impact path.
The awareness and training campaign has covered Mago village, the Thingbu Hydel area, New Maling and Tongsheng villages, as well as personnel from the Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) stationed locally. Plans are underway to expand the programme to other vulnerable settlements such as Phonda, Chaksam, Grenkhar, and Dungshengmang.
