PROACTIVE APPROACH
Following imminent risk of sudden breach of Glacial Lakes in high altitude regions, particularly in the Himalayas by rapid melting of glaciers due to the climate change, government of Jammu and Kashmir has adopted a focused, holistic and a proactive approach which includes comprehensive understanding of risk landscape and the development of robust mitigation and risk reduction strategies.
In this connection, the Focused Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Monitoring Committee (FGMC) constituted by the Govt of J&K has conducted Expeditions to various such lakes to enhance understanding and preparedness against the potential hazards.
Subsequently, geographical field expeditions were conducted to the two glacier lakes i.e. Sheshnag and Sonsar enroute Holy Amarnath Cave. The detailed report was shared with FGMC after the field expedition highlighting the major findings and future possibilities for deliberations.
As part of the initiative, a specialized expedition team carried out the expeditions and undertook a comprehensive study of three critical glacial lakes in the Kishtwar district including Mundiksar Lake, Hangu Lake and Unnamed Lake in the Kishtwar region.
The expedition provided valuable data on the lake conditions, surrounding environmental factors, and potential risks of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) events.
