J&K identifies 68 potentially dangerous glacial lakes amid rising GLOF threat

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has flagged the growing threat of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) amid rising temperatures, rapid glacier melt and expanding glacial lakes in the Union Territory.

According to a government reply to a question by NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq, 68 of the 616 identified glacial lakes in J&K have been classified as Potentially Dangerous Glacial Lakes (PDGLs) under National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) criteria.

The University of Kashmir has identified 616 glacial lakes across 12 districts, covering 28.62 sq km. GLOF risks have been flagged in districts including Kishtwar, Ganderbal, Kulgam and Anantnag.

The government constituted a Core Committee in September 2024 to assess high-risk lakes, with 24 prioritised based on 17 risk parameters. Several institutions, including the Central Water Commission, IITs and the National Remote Sensing Centre, have also mapped and assessed vulnerable lakes.

To strengthen early warning and real-time monitoring, C-DAC has been designated as the lead technical agency for developing an indigenous GIS-based GLOF Early Warning System. The proposed system will use water-level monitoring buoys, automatic weather stations, cameras and deformation-detection technology, along with a web portal for real-time alerts.

District authorities have also been directed to assess downstream risks, map vulnerable villages and infrastructure, prepare risk-reduction plans and identify safe evacuation zones.