Sikkim has launched a first-of-its-kind Himalayan Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Expedition, bringing together over 35 experts from premier national institutes, state departments, the Army, ITBP and the local community to assess six high-risk glacial lakes in Mangan district.
The expedition, which runs from 20 August to 10 September 2025, aims to prepare scientific mitigation plans to protect vulnerable downstream communities from future disasters.
The participating institutes include the Central Water Commission (CWC), CWPRS, National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and Sikkim University. Six Sikkim government departments are also part of the team, along with a delegation from the Himachal Pradesh Disaster Management Authority, which is attending for exposure and field training.
According to the state science and technology department, the experts are using advanced technologies for hazard assessment, GLOF modelling, design of retention structures, and early warning systems. The studies will provide the foundation for long-term safety measures, particularly after the devastating 2023 South Lhonak glacial flood.
On the second day of the expedition, the team trekked through Dombang valley to the Khangpup Khangse glacier—a 5-km debris-covered ice mass that is thinning rapidly but still roaring with meltwater at its snout. Officials noted that the glacier, which had triggered a damaging flood in June this year, remains a critical site to be closely monitored.
Another sub-team scaled to the Chumilamcha glacial lake at 4,800 metres, classified as a Category-A high-risk lake holding nearly five million cubic metres of water beneath a precarious one-km hanging glacier. While its lateral moraines appeared stable, the breached terminal moraine still bears the scars of a past GLOF event, underlining its vulnerability.
After halting at the windswept Army camp in Khora La, the teams descended to Lachung—reminded once again of the mountains’ raw power and the urgent need for preparedness in a region where glaciers and communities coexist in fragile balance.