In the floods that wreaked havoc in in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong, and Namchi District earlier today, so far five dead bodies have been recovered while 23 army personnel continue to be missing. As per official information put by the state government, the lake outburst in portions of Lhonak lake in North Sikkim caused a rise in water levels with a velocity of 15 metres per second.
In the wake of the disaster, Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development [ICIMOD] released a press note which quoted experts as attributing the floods to an adversely changing climate.
“Intense rain has led to this catastrophic situation in Sikkim where the rain has triggered a glacial lake outburst flood and damaged a dam and caused loss of life and caused further damage to roads and infrastructure. We observe that such extreme events increase in frequency as the climate continues to warm and takes us into unknown territory,” Miriam Jackson, senior cryosphere specialist at ICIMOD mentioned in the press note.
Also Read: Sikkim: Cloudburst Causes Flash Floods, 3 dead, 23 Army Troops Missing, Rescue Ops Underway
Also, Jakob Steiner, hazards and hydrology expert at ICIMOD mentioned that the flooding in Sikkim is another classic case of a cascading hazard chain that amplifies as you go downstream. He underlined the importance of managing the rise in temperature due to global warming.
“It is possible that strong permafrost degradation in the vicinity of the lake may have destabilised the dam, which may have then failed upon an exceptionally strong rainfall event. Downstream, a hydropower structure was ripped away, further contributing to the massive impact that has resulted in yet more loss of life and damage to homes and infrastructure in what has been just a devastating monsoon season in the mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalaya. Tragically, what we’ve seen this summer in terms of flash floods is likely to pale in comparison with what’s to come unless we limit temperature rise,” Steiner was quoted.
Also, Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD mentioned that this is the latest in a series of deadly flash-floods that ricocheted across the Hindu Kush Himalayan region this monsoon, bringing the reality of this region’s extreme vulnerability to climate change all too vividly alive.
Meanwhile, the Sikkim government issued a notification, and declared the flooding as a ‘disaster’, after water levels swelled drastically during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, and assured support amid the disaster.
“I humbly urge all our citizens to remain vigilant and refrain from unnecessary travel during this critical time. It is essential that we maintain composure and hope for a swift return to normalcy in our region,” CM Tamang said in an appeal to the citizens.
Meanwhile, VK Sharma, vice chairman of Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority told the press that the disaster has affected telephone and road connectivity on national highway 10, which connects Sikkim to West Bengal, at several places.
