Act fast to mitigate a disaster in Teesta Valley, groups urge PM, CMs

  • November 20, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Act fast to mitigate a disaster in Teesta Valley, groups urge PM, CMs

Sub : Geo

Sec: Indian physical geo

Context:

  • The Teesta Valley has only six months before the 2025 monsoon aggravates the damage wrought by the disastrous glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in October 2023.

Key Issues and Damage from the 2023 GLOF:

  • Casualties: Over 100 lives lost.
  • Impact:
    • Livelihoods disrupted and critical infrastructure destroyed, including military installations.
    • Ecological damage across Sikkim and West Bengal.
  • Displacement: 65 families in West Bengal’s Kalimpong district remain in relief camps.
  • Ongoing Threats:
    • Areas along the Teesta River, like Teesta Bazaar, are still sinking.
    • NH10, vital for Kalimpong and Sikkim, remains unstable during monsoons, impacting tourism and the local economy.

Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF):

  • A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) is a sudden release of water from a glacial lake, often caused by the failure of natural dams formed by moraines, ice, or other debris. These floods can have catastrophic consequences for downstream areas.

Causes of GLOFs

  1. Triggering Events:
    • Rapid Glacier Melting: Often due to rising global temperatures.
    • Avalanches or Landslides: Falling debris into the lake increases pressure on the natural dam.
    • Ice Calving: Sudden collapse of a part of a glacier into the lake.
    • Seismic Activity: Earthquakes or volcanic eruptions destabilize the lake structure.
  2. Dam Weakness:
    • Moraine dams (made of loose debris) are inherently unstable and prone to failure.
    • Saturation due to heavy rainfall can weaken the dam.

Key Features

  • Suddenness: GLOFs are typically rapid, leaving little time for evacuation.
  • High Energy: The released water carries large volumes of debris, enhancing its destructive potential.
  • Range of Impact: Can travel tens to hundreds of kilometers downstream, affecting settlements, infrastructure, and ecosystems.

Impacts of GLOFs

  1. Human Casualties: Loss of lives due to the sheer speed and volume of the flood.
  2. Infrastructure Damage: Destruction of roads, bridges, dams, and hydropower facilities.
  3. Environmental Effects:
    • Soil erosion and landscape changes.
    • Disruption of ecosystems and biodiversity.
  4. Economic Losses:
    • Loss of livelihoods, particularly in agriculture and tourism.
    • Costs associated with reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Prevention and Mitigation Strategies

  1. Monitoring and Early Warning Systems:
  • Use remote sensing (satellites) to monitor lake conditions.
  • Install real-time warning systems downstream.
  1. Structural Measures
  • River Management: Use NHPC expertise to deepen, widen, and redirect the Teesta River to mitigate overflow risks.
  • Roads and Bridges: Repair and strengthen infrastructure to restore connectivity and disaster response capability.
  • Evacuation Centers: Upgrade facilities with solar power backups.
  1. Non-Structural Measures
  • Early Warning Systems: Install automated flood alert systems using sirens and mobile notifications.
    • Introduce backup communication tools like ham radios and walkie-talkies.
  • Awareness Campaigns: Build local capacity for risk management and disaster preparedness.
  1. Land-Use Planning and Zoning
  • Resettlement: High-risk zones to be designated for evacuation and resettlement. Provide adequate compensation and support for relocation.
  • Sustainable Development: Avoid infrastructure in vulnerable areas.
  1. Afforestation and Ecosystem Restoration
  • Goal: Prevent soil erosion, Regulate river flow.
  • Actions: Launch large-scale afforestation programs to restore the valley’s ecological balance.

Teesta River:

  1. Source:
    • Originates from the Tso Lhamo Lake in the eastern Himalayas, at an altitude of about 5,330 meters in North Sikkim.
  2. Course:
    • Flows southward through Sikkim, forming deep gorges and valleys.
    • Enters West Bengal and merges with the Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh.
  3. Length: Approximately 309 km.
  4. Tributaries:
    • Rangit is the largest tributary.
  5. Drainage Basin:
    • Covers parts of Sikkim, West Bengal, and
  6. Discharge:
    • Seasonal variations, with high flows during the monsoon (June–September).
Act fast to mitigate a disaster in Teesta Valley Geography