A glacier lake burst in Bhutan on Thursday night has created a threat of flood in the border areas of West Bengal and Assam. The water level of the Sankosh river is expected to rise rapidly after the water is released from the Shitamphu glacier lake located in Lemthang area of Bhutan. In view of the situation, the administration in Alipurduar district of West Bengal and Dhubri district of Assam is on alert mode. The glacier lake burst incident occurred at around 8:15 pm on Thursday night. After this, the water started moving rapidly towards the Sankosh river via the Mophu river. During the night itself, the water was reported to have reached the Taktsimakhang area.
15,000 people were sent to safer places in Alipurduar
In view of the flood threat, around 15,000 people from Bhalka-1, Bhalka-2, Chengmari, and Land Gram Panchayats, located along the Sankosh River in Alipurduar district, have been evacuated to safer locations. Army personnel deployed at the Taktsimakhaung Project Office and Gasa Chachu have also been instructed to move to safer locations. The administration has appealed to people living on the river banks and in low-lying areas to remain vigilant. People have been asked to immediately inform the local administration in case of rising water levels. All Gram Panchayats and concerned officials have been instructed to continuously monitor the situation.
Sirens sounding in Assam and Bengal
- Following the news of release of water from Bhutan, an alert has been issued in several districts of North Bengal including Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling.
- People are being alerted by sounding sirens in the areas around the Sankosh river and its tributaries.
- Disaster Management, NDRF and SDRF teams have also been kept on alert.
- BJP MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista, has released a video appealing to people to remain alert.
- At the same time, West Bengal Minister Nishith Pramanik and Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon have also advised people living on the banks of the river to move to safer places.
Floodwaters could have reached India in 6 to 8 hours
A special advisory issued by India stated that flash floods in the upper reaches of the Punatsangchhu River could cause water levels to rise rapidly in Alipurduar, West Bengal, and Dhubri district, Assam. The advisory expressed apprehension that floodwaters could reach the India-Bhutan border within six to eight hours of the incident. No casualties have been reported at this time. The administration is closely monitoring the situation.
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