Bhutan glacial lake burst floods hot springs, puts Indian border districts on alert
No injuries were reported after Bhutan's Shintaphu lake burst its banks, as West Bengal and Assam moved people away from the Sankosh River.
A glacial lake outburst in northern Bhutan has washed away infrastructure at the Gasa Tshachu hot springs and led to evacuations downstream in India, where West Bengal and Assam have warned of a sudden rise in the Sankosh River.
CNA and The Straits Times, citing Bhutanese media, reported the flood came from the Shintaphu glacial lake. State broadcaster BBS said no injuries or deaths had been reported. The national newspaper Kuensel said the area had been evacuated before the water arrived.
BBS said the extent of damage from the late-night flash flood was unknown because of "darkness and the strong flow" of the water. Two bailey bridges may have been swept away, it said. Kuensel reported part of the road to Laya village, where the springs are, was washed away and the road had been closed indefinitely. CNA reported the historic Punakha Dzong was closed until further notice "in the interest of public safety". The springs, a major tourist attraction, were also hit by a flash flood in 2021.
The Hindu reported nearly 7.4 million cubic metres of water surged from the lake into the Mo River, which flows towards the Sankosh along the West Bengal-Assam border. West Bengal's Water Resources Investigation and Development Minister, Nisith Pramanik, said the outburst occurred at Lemthang and urged people in the Sankosh catchment, including Tufanganj and nearby areas of Cooch Behar, to move away immediately. State and national disaster response teams were on alert, he said.
Officials told The Hindu evacuations began late on Thursday, with loudspeaker announcements in riverbank villages of the Rampur-I gram panchayat area in Alipurduar district. Residents were seen leaving with their cattle. The Economic Times also reported Bengal was on high alert.
Estimates of timing differed. State Forest and Environment Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon said in a video that "a dam in Bhutan has breached" and that floodwaters were expected downstream within one to 1.5 hours. Officials quoted by The Hindu said the surge could reach border areas in six to eight hours. The IMD has forecast heavy rain in Alipurduar on Friday.
Mr Oraon urged quick action to avoid a disaster like the one in Nepal. Reuters, carried by CNA and The Straits Times, reported a flash flood on Nepal's border with China in August killed more than 1,500 people and left more than 5,000 missing.
In Assam, Dhubri district was placed on alert after a Union Ministry of Jal Shakti advisory on Thursday, which cited the Indian Embassy. The Hindu said concerns had also been raised for the Punatsangchhu hydropower project, an India-Bhutan joint venture. An Assam State Disaster Management Authority spokesperson said the Sankosh's water level was steady as of 6.30am on Friday.
Sources: CNA, Bhutan glacial lake outburst triggers flood, no injuries reported; The Straits Times, Bhutan glacial lake outburst triggers flood, no injuries reported; The Hindu, Glacial lake outburst in Bhutan triggers flood alert in northern West Bengal, Assam; The Economic Times, Bhutan flood threat puts Bengal on high alert.
