Lok Sabha Question No. 1504 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Committee on  Disaster Risk Reduction (CoDRR)
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane, Shri Sudheer Gupta

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1504

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 4 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## COMMITTEE ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (CoDRR)

## 1504.  SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE: SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has thrown a caution on Glacial lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in a Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction (CoDRR) workshop on strategies for GLOF risk reduction recently and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether lack of coordination/confusion about respective roles among States and Central agencies is one of the major reasons for non implementation of any concrete policy in GLOF risk in the country;
- (c) if  so,  the  manner  in  which  coordinating platform, CoDRR will  help in overcoming the challenges with respect to GLOF risk;
- (d) whether the Government has compiled a dynamic list  of high risk  glacial  lakes  out  of total glacial lakes in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to engage with GLOF experts from across the world and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) Yes.  The  National  Disaster  Management  Authority  (NDMA)  under  the  aegis  of  the Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  (MHA)  has  constituted  the  Committee  on  Disaster  Risk Reduction (CoDRR) to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) Risk Reduction in collaboration with various Central/State government agencies  and  departments.  Until  now  8  CoDRR  meetings  focusing  on  GLOF  risk mitigation have been organized by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). On  November  11 th and  12 th ,  2024,  NDMA  organized  a  1  and  ½  day  international workshop titled 'Strategies for Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Risk Reduction to create  awareness  amongst  States/UTs  and  to  review  their  efforts  for  GLOF  Risk Reduction. At the workshop, experts came from Nepal, Bhutan, Kazakhastan, Peru and Switzerland and shared best practices in the Andes, Alps and Himalayas.
- (b) No.  In  October  2020,  NDMA  issued  the  Guidelines  on  'Management  of  Glacial  Lake Outburst  Floods  (GLOFs)'  and  'Compendium  of  Task  Force  Report  on  NDMA Guidelines Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)'which contains roles and  responsibilities,  including  actions  to  be  taken  by  various  stakeholders,  for  disaster risk management of GLOF.

Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has been identified as the lead ministry for glacial studies.

- (c) The CoDRR mechanism paves the way for a whole-of-government approach and works with  the  objective  of  'need  to  share'  information,  technology,  assessment,  scientific resources and networks, with the 6 related States/UTs. The over-arching idea is to arm the States/UTs  with  resources  and  information  so  that  they  can  lead  the  effort  to  mitigate risks  from  such  glacial  lakes  as  exist  in  their  jurisdiction.  Results  of  CoDRR  are outstanding - all States/UTs have formed GLOF Risk Reduction units and have focused resources on the problem.
- (d) Since  2011,  National  Remote  Sensing  Centre  (NRSC)  has  utilized  satellite  remote sensing  technology to consistently map over 7,500 glacial  lakes  (of the total 28,000 in IHR) across the India. Subsequently, Central Water Commission (CWC) has undertaken continuous monitoring of these lakes, publishing a fortnightly bulletin on high-risk glacial lakes  from  June  to  October,  the  period  most  prone  to  GLOF  events.  NDMA  has integrated the findings of these agencies into a consolidated and dynamic list of 195 high risk  glacial  lakes  that  are  exhibiting  rapid  increases  in  surface  area  and  could  be susceptible to GLOF events.
- (e) The CoDRR International Level Workshops are designed to bring all stakeholders to a common platform to engage in scientific discourse and open avenues for collaboration. In line  with  the  same,  the  aforementioned  workshop,  and  has  created  collaboration  for States/UTs with global experts, Indian academics and scientific institutions.

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