Sikkim High Court urges early warning systems for 40 risky glacial lakes

The Sikkim High Court has asked both the state and the Central government to move quickly on installing early warning systems at 40 glacial lakes it treats as high-risk, so that a repeat of the October 2023 South Lhonak flood can be avoided, Bar and Bench reported on Monday.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan made the observation in a November 5 order in a case the court is hearing on its own, titled Re: Climatic Justice in the State of Sikkim.

What the court said

The Bench noted that Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and neighbouring Bhutan already have early warning systems meant to reduce the risk from glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). It said it would "persuade" the state and the Centre to take immediate steps to buy and install similar systems in Sikkim.

The court also:

• asked the state government to report what it has done so far about the 40 high-risk lakes;
• asked the state to consider a proposal for five nodal officers to watch over the lakes.

The nodal-officer plan was put forward by amicus curiae Sudhir Mishra. Under it, one senior officer in the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) would be supported by four officers, each responsible for ten lakes. They would coordinate warnings and preparedness, track glacier movement and pull together data held by different departments.

Why it matters

The outburst of South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim in October 2023 sent a flash flood down the Teesta. It damaged the Chungthang dam, washed away bridges and stretches of National Highway 10, and caused deaths and destruction across four districts. Communities along the Teesta in Sikkim and downstream still live with the threat from lakes that are growing as glaciers retreat.

Cardamom on the agenda too

The Bench also took note of a decline in Sikkim's black cardamom plantations, referring to an October 11 report in The Economic Times that linked it to warmer winters and erratic rainfall, which leave plants more prone to disease. Black cardamom is an important cash crop for many rural households in the state.

Before passing any order on this, the court sought the state's response on what has been done under its Mero Alaichi, Mero Dhan (My Cardamom, My Wealth) revival initiative. "Climate change would cause many such issues and it should be addressed in right earnest," the Bench observed.

Senior advocates Dr Doma T Bhutia and TR Barfungpa assisted the court as amici along with Mishra. Additional Advocates General Aarohi Bhalla and Zangpo Sherpa appeared for the state, and Deputy Solicitor General Sangita Pradhan for the Centre.

The case will next be heard on November 18.