'How the government covered up the severity of Teesta floods by blaming them on a ‘cloudburst’", 12 October 2023

The devastating flooding swept away the Teesta III dam around 62.35 kilometres ahead and damaged hydropower projects further downstream...

But for several hours on the day of the disaster, government media and disaster agencies continued to refer to the incident as a “cloudburst”, indicating a lack of clarity on what had actually happened. An analysis of publicly issued statements and posts shows that this confusion continued well until the next day, with the Sikkim chief minister’s office referring to the incident using terms such as “cloudburst-induced water surge”.

Such oversights raise questions about the monitoring lapses on the part of crucial government bodies such as the Central Water Commission as well as the National Disaster Management Authority. They also indicate a lack of coordination among government agencies...

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If the Central Water Commission was aware of a sudden surge in the Teesta River, it is not clear why it took so long to issue clear information about the incident. It also raises worrying questions about the lack of preparedness or foresight to deal with disasters of such kind.

For years now, several scientific studies and assessments have warned that the Himalayas are at risk of GLOFs, yet, little has been done to prepare for such disasters. In fact, only in February 2021, a glacier collapse in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand had triggered flash floods that killed an estimated 150-200 people and damaged a hydropower project. Increasingly warm global temperatures and erratic weather and rainfall are speeding up the melting of glaciers across the Himalayas.

The disaster in Sikkim is only the latest in a string of related incidents. But it must serve as an urgent reminder at all levels of the state and Central governments that the fragile condition of the Himalayas as the effects of climate change escalate will pose a continued and imminent danger to residents of India’s hill states.