12 000 people shifted from vulnerable areas in north Bengal as GLOF hits adjoining Bhutan

    Kolkata, Oct 30 (PTI) Around 12,000 people living along the Sankosh in West Bengal's Alipurduar district downstream of Bhutan were shifted to safer locations on Friday after the river's water level rose due to a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in the adjoining Himalayan kingdom, a senior official said.

    The evacuation was carried out after a glacial lake in Bhutan's Gasa region burst its banks on Thursday evening, unleashing a massive volume of water mixed with mud, rocks and debris into the downstream river systems, he said.

    Nearly 7.4 million cubic metres of water surged out of the breached Shintaphu Lake in Bhutan into the Mo River, causing an increase in the water level of the Sankosh, which flows along the West Bengal-Assam inter-state boundary.

    The incident triggered flood alerts in parts of north Bengal and Assam, with authorities keeping a close watch on the water levels of rivers flowing down from the Himalayan kingdom.

    "We have shifted 12,000 people to safe shelters as a precautionary measure. The situation is under control at present," the official told PTI.

    The water level of the Sankosh River has risen by nearly two feet since Friday morning, he added.

    Sikkim, which witnessed massive devastation and loss of many lives in a glacial lake outburst flood in October 2023, however, remained unaffected in this disaster.

    National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have been deployed in the affected areas, while teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Civil Defence and local administration are also being mobilised to strengthen the emergency response, the official said, while talking about the arrangements made in the wake of the situation.

    "We are closely monitoring the water level and flow of the Sankosh River, while maintaining communication with officials in Bhutan to assess developments and obtain updates on the situation," he said.

    There have been no reports of major damage or casualties in the Sankosh-adjoining Kumargram area of Alipurduar so far, he added.

    Meanwhile, Bhutan-originating rivers flowing through Jalpaiguri district did not witness any water surge owing to the GLOF, another official said.

    Block officials made precautionary announcements through public address systems at Banarhat on Thursday night following the GLOF alert as Bhutan-originating rivers flow through the area, prompting some people living near the rivers to shift to safer places.

    "There has been no impact of the GLOF on the rivers flowing through Jalpaiguri," the district official said.

    Alerts were sounded in Binnaguri, Banarhat and Nagrakata areas as the Kaljani, Torsha, Raidak, Diana and Sankosh rivers flow from Bhutan into the district.

    Water Resources Investigation and Development Minister Nisith Pramanik has urged people living near the Sankosh to evacuate.

    "Everyone living in the catchment areas of the Sankosh River and all its connected tributaries has been asked to move to safer locations immediately to protect their lives," Pramanik said in a video message.

    He said the administration was prepared to deal with any eventuality, with teams of the SDRF and NDRF kept on alert for rescue and relief operations.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)