New Delhi, Sept 3: Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review the preparedness of Himalayan States and Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir, against the risks of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and snow avalanches.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretaries and State Disaster Management Authorities of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, besides senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority, Central Water Commission, India Meteorological Department and Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment.
The meeting reviewed the evolving GLOF risk across the Himalayan region, with particular focus on early warning systems, monitoring of vulnerable glacial lakes and snow-covered areas, identification of high-risk locations and flow paths, timely dissemination of alerts, evacuation preparedness and strengthening of response mechanisms.
The participating States and J&K presented their preparedness and mitigation strategies, including measures for monitoring vulnerable glacial lakes, strengthening early warning systems, improving last-mile dissemination of alerts, flow-path planning, community preparedness and deployment of response resources in vulnerable areas.
The Union Home Secretary stressed that State- and UT-specific vulnerabilities must be addressed through concrete action at the district and local levels. He called for continuous and proactive monitoring of vulnerable glacial lakes and avalanche-prone areas, particularly during periods of heightened risk.
He also emphasised close coordination among State agencies, district administrations and scientific and technical institutions to ensure that warnings are acted upon promptly and effectively.
Mohan said preparedness for GLOFs and snow avalanches must move beyond response-oriented measures towards risk-informed planning, preventive mitigation and community-level preparedness. The States and UT were advised to regularly review preparedness plans, identify gaps in early warning and evacuation arrangements and undertake corrective measures well in advance.
The Union Home Secretary also directed the States to expedite implementation of GLOF mitigation projects sanctioned by the Central Government in 2024.
The meeting concluded with directions for continued inter-agency coordination, regular sharing of risk information and strengthening of early warning and response mechanisms to minimise loss of life and property in vulnerable Himalayan areas.
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