Union Home Secretary Shri Govind Mohan chaired a meeting in New Delhi on September 3, 2026, to review the preparedness of Himalayan States and Union Territories against Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and Snow Avalanches. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretaries and State Disaster Management Authorities from Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir, along with senior officers from Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority, Central Water Commission, India Meteorological Department, and Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment.
The meeting reviewed the evolving GLOF risks in the Himalayan region with emphasis on early warning systems, monitoring of vulnerable glacial lakes and snow-covered areas, identification of high-risk locations, flow path analysis, timely alert dissemination, evacuation preparedness, and response mechanism strengthening. States/UTs presented their respective preparedness and mitigation strategies, including measures for monitoring vulnerable glacial lakes, strengthening early warning systems, improving last-mile alert dissemination, flow path planning, community preparedness, and deployment of response resources in vulnerable areas.
Union Home Secretary emphasized continuous proactive monitoring of vulnerable glacial lakes and avalanche-prone areas during periods of heightened risk. States/UTs were advised to maintain close coordination among state agencies, district administrations, and scientific institutions to ensure prompt and effective response to warnings. The meeting stressed the need to move beyond response-oriented measures toward risk-informed planning, preventive mitigation, and community-level preparedness. States were directed to regularly review preparedness plans, identify gaps in early warning and evacuation arrangements, and undertake corrective measures in advance of extreme events. Specifically, States were advised to expedite progress on GLOF mitigation projects sanctioned by the Central Government in 2024.
The meeting concluded with directions for continued inter-agency coordination, regular sharing of risk information, and strengthening of early warning and response mechanisms to minimize loss of life and property in vulnerable Himalayan areas.