A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in Bhutan has damaged a solar-powered irrigation project and blocked part of a highway with debris, while triggering flood alerts in several areas of India’s West Bengal and Assam states.
No casualties have been reported in Bhutan so far. However, Indian authorities have issued red alerts in five districts amid fears that a sudden surge in water levels in the Sankosh River could cause flooding downstream. Thousands of people have been moved to safer locations as a precaution.
The flood partially damaged a solar-powered irrigation pumping system in the Dochukha-Jomlingthang-Ritsa Chiwog area of Guma Gewog in Bhutan’s Punakha district, forcing the facility to suspend operations. The extent of the damage has yet to be assessed.
Local officials also reported that debris carried by floodwaters had accumulated along a section of the Punakha-Gasa highway near Jomlingthang, disrupting the road.
The incident occurred on Thursday evening when water overflowed from Shintaphu Lake, also known as Shintaphu Tsho, beneath Wakila Mountain in Bhutan’s Gasa district. Located in the upper reaches of the Mo Chhu river basin, the lake’s overflow sent additional water southwards into the Mo Chhu River, increasing downstream flows.
Shintaphu is among 17 potentially dangerous glacial lakes identified in Bhutan.
An official from Bhutan’s National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology said a water-level monitoring station was operating at Taktsimakhang. However, no warning signal had been activated when the initial reports emerged. The actual scale of the overflow and its downstream impact remained unclear.
Flood Alerts in West Bengal and Assam
Following the incident, Indian authorities issued special flood warnings over concerns that water levels in the Sankosh River could rise rapidly.
Officials warned that a sudden surge originating upstream in the Punatsangchhu river system could cause water levels to rise in Alipurduar district of West Bengal and Dhubri district of Assam.
Alerts were also issued in parts of the Darjeeling hills, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts in northern West Bengal.
Personnel from India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed in Tufanganj and Boxirhat in Cooch Behar district, both located near the Assam border along the Sankosh River.
Authorities are warning residents about the potential risks and monitoring the situation closely.
A special alert cautioned that floodwaters could reach the India-Bhutan border within six to eight hours.
Officials in the affected districts have been instructed to closely monitor developments and take necessary precautionary measures.
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