Himachal hopes new GLOF warning system will reduce disaster response time

Himachal Pradesh has installed an advanced GLOF early warning system at Geepang Gath glacial lake to cut disaster response time. The state has also submitted a ₹3,525 crore disaster loss assessment to the Centre, awaiting financial assistance.

The North Indian hill state Himachal Pradesh is hopeful that its newly installed advanced Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) early warning system at Geepang Gath glacial lake, situated at an altitude of around 4,100 metres, will significantly reduce disaster response time and help save lives. The state has also submitted an assessment of approximately ₹3,525 crore in disaster-related losses to the Centre, while a Supreme Court-empowered committee is examining disaster risks, ecological conservation and the carrying capacity of vulnerable areas.

Advanced GLOF Early Warning System Installed

Dr Pushpendra Rana, Special Secretary, Disaster Management, Himachal Pradesh, said the state was focusing on technology-driven early warnings, faster emergency responses and financial assistance for recovery and reconstruction following repeated natural disasters. Speaking with ANI, Rana said the early warning system installed at Geepang Gath was an advanced, integrated and automated arrangement comprising three independent components designed to monitor changes in the glacial lake and surrounding environmental conditions and transmit alerts to authorities. “In the Himalayan context, GLOF events have become a threat. The recent incident in Nepal has underlined the need to focus more on preparedness. Several glacial lakes have been identified as potential high-risk locations in Himachal Pradesh by the NDMA and other agencies. We are already working on four lakes where the possibility of high-risk GLOF events has been identified,” he said.

How the System Works

Explaining the technical features of the system, Rana said it comprised a floating buoy deployed in the water, an automatic weather station on the shore and a glacier vision unit equipped with two cameras. The floating buoy continuously monitors changes in the water and transmits data at intervals of 10 minutes under normal conditions. In an emergency, the system is designed to begin transmitting information within 30 seconds, enabling authorities to detect sudden changes in the lake. The automatic weather station records 14 environmental parameters, while the two-camera glacier vision unit continuously monitors changes in the lake and its surroundings.

“All three systems are interconnected through a supercomputer-based analytical platform. Mobile alerts can provide information within one to five minutes, enabling us to identify the location of an event while sitting here and alert the disaster management machinery immediately,” he said.

Rana said the system would help authorities shift into action mode quickly after receiving an alert, reducing response times and potentially saving lives. He said the system had been developed with contributions from scientists at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, along with support from the State Disaster Management Authority, the state administration, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Disaster Management Authority.

According to Rana, the system was designed to remain operational for around 15 to 20 days on battery power, even under cloudy conditions. Referring to similar initiatives in other Himalayan states, he said systems had previously been tried in Sikkim, and a lake in Uttarakhand had also recently been equipped with an early warning arrangement. However, he described the Geepang Gath installation as the first of its kind in India in terms of its advanced automation, integration, supercomputer-based analytics and mobile alert connectivity.

Rana said the installation represented a significant step towards strengthening disaster preparedness in Himachal Pradesh, where landslides, cloudbursts, flash floods and other extreme events had become recurring challenges. “Disasters have become a frequent phenomenon in the Himalayan landscape. With the help of technology, immediate information and prompt action, we can substantially reduce the response time of our disaster management mechanism and save many lives,” he said.

State Seeks ₹3,525 Crore in Central Aid

On the state's demand for financial assistance, Rana said Himachal Pradesh had submitted an assessment of approximately ₹3,525 crore in losses caused by disasters this year to the Centre He said the assessment followed a comprehensive exercise undertaken by the state and visits by a team of the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to disaster-affected and vulnerable areas.

“We showed the team different locations across Himachal Pradesh where disaster-related incidents had occurred and where areas remain vulnerable. They appreciated the state's data collection, including the identification of disaster locations and the spatial analysis of how and where these events occurred,” he said.

Rana expressed hope that the Union government would release financial assistance promptly to enable the state to begin recovery and reconstruction work in affected communities. He said the losses covered damage to infrastructure, houses, electricity and power facilities, bridges and other public assets, besides the hardships suffered by local communities.

“We have submitted an assessment of around ₹3,525 crore in losses for this year. We hope the Government of India will release the funds soon so that repair, recovery and reconstruction work can begin immediately in the affected areas,” he said. He emphasised that timely financial assistance was essential to restore damaged infrastructure, rebuild houses and support communities affected by disasters.

Supreme Court Committee Examines Ecological Balance

Rana said a Supreme Court-empowered committee was visiting different parts of Himachal Pradesh and holding discussions with various departments to examine how ecological conservation could be balanced with development activities in the Himalayan region. The committee was looking into a range of issues, including recurring natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, tourism pressure and the carrying capacity of ecologically sensitive destinations.

“The committee is discussing with different departments how to maintain a balance between ecology, conservation and development in Himachal Pradesh. The issues include disasters, carrying capacity, tourism exceeding the limits of certain destinations, landslides, cloudbursts and other events affecting the Himalayan landscape,” he said.

Rana said the committee had visited several locations to assess ground realities and examine how development activities across the state could be aligned with ecological conservation. He expressed hope that its findings would lead to further action by the Centre and the Supreme Court, including additional financial assistance and the introduction of new technologies to protect the Himalayan landscape and its ecosystems.

“We hope the committee's report will help secure additional funds and new technologies to protect the Himalayan landscape and its ecosystem services, which are valued at approximately ₹70,000 crore annually,” he said. He stressed that protecting these ecosystem services was crucial not only for Himachal Pradesh but also for the wider Himalayan region.

The Path Forward: Collective Action and Preparedness

Rana said disaster preparedness required coordinated efforts involving technology, local communities, the bureaucracy and government agencies. He cautioned that the increasing frequency of extreme events in the Himalayan region made it imperative to strengthen systems for early detection, public preparedness and rapid emergency response.

“It is a difficult task, but through collective efforts and an integrated approach involving technology, communities, the bureaucracy and all stakeholders, we can prepare ourselves better for disasters,” he said.

Rana added that while disasters might be increasingly difficult to prevent in the Himalayan landscape, the government could improve its ability to protect people by ensuring that communities and the entire administrative system are prepared to respond immediately when an event occurs. “The occurrence of disasters in the Himalayan landscape is increasingly becoming a certainty. However, we must prepare our entire population and system so that whenever a disaster occurs, we can take immediate action,” he said. (ANI)

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