Gangtok: Nepal lost over 1,000 lives to a glacial disaster on August 26. Thousands remain missing. The tragedy near the China border serves as a grim warning for the Himalayas. Sikkim is now racing to secure its own high-altitude lakes. The state endured its own catastrophe when South Lhonak Lake burst on October 3-4, 2023, shattering the Teesta valley.
Sikkim Forest Minister Pintso Namgyal Lepcha calls the state glacial hazard study a national first. The National Disaster Management Authority identifies 40 high-vulnerability lakes in Sikkim. Sixteen are labeled Category A, the highest risk. Nine are Category C, two are Category B, and 13 remain unclassified. Thirteen of the Category A sites sit in Mangan district, with three in Gyalshing district. Every site rests above 17,000 feet.
Expeditions since 2024 have utilized ultrasound boats and electrical resistivity tomography to map these dangerous waters. Scientists at Shako Chho found a fragile moraine with water seeping through the dam. Cutting it would be dangerous. Officials proposed solar-powered pumping instead to avoid the nightmare of hauling fuel to the remote site. A safety wall is also planned for Gurudongmar Lake.
Dhiren G Shrestha of the Science and Technology Department admitted that a complete early warning system does not yet exist. Two pressure probes at Lhonak Lake and Shako Chho provide data, but they are just monitors. Shrestha noted, "We were at the infancy level... but that was also first time in the country."
Sikkim manages 84 glaciers and 677 wetlands. The state is currently awaiting a final report from a commission led by Akhilesh Gupta. For now, only South Lhonak and Shako Chho undergo real-time monitoring. The path forward remains steep and treacherous.
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