Bhutan glacial lake burst puts Alipurduar on red alert; thousands moved from Sankosh banks
A flood wave from Bhutan's Shintaphu lake is heading down the Sankosh river into north Bengal and Assam. Police say more than 6,000 people have been moved to safety.
Alipurduar district in north Bengal is on high alert after a glacial lake outburst flood in Bhutan sent a surge of water down the Sankosh river towards India on Friday, October 30.
The burst happened at the Shintaphu glacial lake in Bhutan's Gasa district, according to reports citing the Indian Embassy in Bhutan. The water entered the upper reaches of the Punatsangchhu river, which becomes the Sankosh as it flows into India along the border between West Bengal and Assam.
The warning
The Central Water Commission and the Union Jal Shakti Ministry issued a special flood advisory saying floodwater could reach Indian territory within six to eight hours, with water levels likely to rise suddenly in Alipurduar in West Bengal and Dhubri in Assam. Authorities along the river were told to stay alert and monitor the situation closely.
On the ground in Bengal
Alipurduar Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Shaw said 4,000 to 5,000 people had been moved into shelters and more than 6,000 relocated to safer areas, news agency ANI reported. He said State Disaster Response Force and Civil Defence teams had been deployed, a National Disaster Response Force team was on its way, and relief centres had food and drinking water. He also said the water flow had eased slightly, but a red alert remained in force for the Sankosh system, and that officials were in touch with their counterparts in Bhutan.
Riverside settlements in the Kumargram block of the Dooars are being watched most closely. Public address systems have been used to ask people living near the riverbanks to move to higher ground. Residents of the Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars have been asked to stay alert.
In Assam, the state disaster management authority said no evacuations had been needed so far in Dhubri and that river levels had not yet risen.
More rain forecast
The India Meteorological Department had already forecast heavy rain in the sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar until Saturday morning, as the remnants of Cyclone Arnab move north.
No casualties have been reported. This is a developing story and figures may change.
Sources
This story was researched and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor before publication. Spotted an error? Tell us.