Lahaul-Spiti's Ghepan Lake under watch; early warning system on way

The Lahaul-Spiti district administration has stepped up preparedness and monitoring measures at Ghepan Glacial Lake, located at an altitude of around 4,070 metres, amid concerns over the potential risk of a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).

An early warning system (EWS) is scheduled to be installed at the lake this month to continuously monitor its water level and other critical parameters and transmit real-time data, enabling timely alerts in the event of any potential threat.

Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, Kiran Bhadana, said the EWS would be installed through the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Thiruvananthapuram. The move follows the successful trial of a similar system developed and tested by C-DAC at Sissu Lake, where it successfully transmitted and received real-time data.

The technology is now proposed to be deployed at Ghepan Lake with support from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), with the final approval order awaited.

The administration is simultaneously strengthening the scientific assessment of the lake and its surrounding terrain. A five-member team of experts from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has reached Ghepan Lake on September 1 for a comprehensive 14-day study.

The team is mapping the lake and its surroundings, identify and demarcate avalanche- and landslide-prone zones, assess the lake’s depth and water flow, and collect and analyse meteorological data. A detailed report will subsequently be submitted to the State Disaster Management Authority.

Bhadana said the administration had received an alert from the ISRO in November 2023 regarding the significant expansion of Ghepan Lake beyond its normal extent.