Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Warning System

Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Warning System Latest News

Recently, the country’s first Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) early warning system has been installed at Ghepan Ghat glacial lake in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district.

About Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Warning System

• It is installed at Ghepan Ghat glacial lake in Himachal Pradesh.
• It is developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under a pilot project funded by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
• Components: It comprises a floating buoy deployed in the water, an automatic weather station on the shore and a glacier vision unit equipped with two cameras.

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Working of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Warning System

• 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.
• It will provide disaster management authorities with crucial data for timely risk assessment and preparedness against potential hazards.

Significance of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Warning System

• The installation marks a significant milestone in monitoring glacial lakes and assessing potential flood threats in the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region.
• The initiative will also help raise public awareness about flood-prone areas and support disaster management planning.

Source: NIE