Administrative Secretary of the Disaster Management Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction (DMRRR) Department, UT Ladakh Amit Sharma today convened an important meeting to address potential threats of Glacial Lake Outburst Flow (GLOF) hazards in the Union Territory of Ladakh, at the Civil Secretariat, Leh wherein all the major stakeholders including both Deputy Commissioners, NRSC-ISRO, IIRS, IMD experts amongst others participated.
This meeting was aimed at methodically assessing the challenges posed by GLOF hazards and strategize a vigorous framework for effective risk management and mitigation.
At the outset of the meeting, Secretary DMRRR Ladakh Amit Sharma talked about the need to conduct in-depth studies on major glacial of the UT Ladakh, especially those glacial lakes whose which are expanding very fast. It was followed by a comprehensive presentation on subject by the Director of the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad. He shed light on the utilization of satellite technology for Glacial Lake inventory, risk assessment, and long-term monitoring of glacial lake extent.
Amit expressed gratitude to NRSC-ISRO team from Hyderabad for provisioning Ladakh specific crucial data-driven insights into the distribution and dynamics of glacial lakes, laying a foundation for informed decision-making.
Additionally, another presentation was made by distinguished scientists from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Dehradun which focused on flood hazard assessment modeling techniques specific to GLOF occurrences in Ladakh. This presentation offered invaluable insights into cutting-edge methodologies aimed at enhancing predictive capabilities and preparedness measures.
Secretary DMRRR Ladakh Amit Sharma highlighted the importance of safeguarding human habitation and preventing loss of life due to natural calamities. He further emphasized the significance of proactive risk management towards implementing robust strategies to mitigate the risks associated with GLOF events and shared that more extensive studies shall be carried out in both Leh and Kargil districts especially in vulnerable Padam, Suru and Rumbak glacial belts for future flood hazard assessment and specialised capacity building drives shall be carried out to train Human Resources for mitigating GLOF related disasters in UT.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Commissioner Leh, Superintendent of Police, UTDRF, Ladakh, Deputy Secretary of Disaster Management Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction Department, UT Ladakh, EOC In-charge; while Deputy Commissioner Kargil, Director Indian Meteorological Department, Ladakh, representatives from NRSC and representatives from IIRS participated in the meeting virtually.
