Govt to review design of dams vulnerable to glacial lake outburst floods

The government on Thursday said it will review the design of all existing and under-construction dams vulnerable to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods, ensuring these dams have adequate spillway capacity to handle extreme flood scenarios. A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a type of outburst flood caused by the failure of a dam containing a glacial lake. Moreover, conducting GLOF studies has been made mandatory for all new dams planned in areas with glacial lakes. In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said the Central Water Commission's measures include monitoring 902 glacial lakes and water bodies across the Himalayan region from June to October each year. "Subsequent to Teesta-III Hydroelectric dam collapse in October, 2023, Central Water Commission has decided to review the design flood of all the existing and under construction dams vulnerable to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) to ensure their adequate .