Lok Sabha Question No. 6090 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-01
Subject: Early Warning System in Himalayan States
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6090

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 1 ST  APRIL, 2026

## EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IN HIMALAYAN STATES

## †6090. SHRI TRIVENDRA SINGH RAWAT:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the  Government has installed Early  Warning  Systems  for  flash  floods  and landslides in the Himalayan States including Uttarakhand and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the meteorological infrastructure upgraded in Uttarakhand during the last three years;
- (c) whether a satellite-based system is being used to monitor the melting of Himalayan glaciers and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to strengthen disaster preparedness in river basins such as the Upper Ganga region?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Yes. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has developed a comprehensive MultiHazard  Early  Warning  System  (MHEWS)  consisting  of  observational  networks, forecasting  models,  and  an  indigenously  developed  GIS-based  Decision  Support System  (DSS),  which  serves  as  the  front  end  for  early  warning  systems  to  enable detection and monitoring of weather hazards, such as cyclones, heavy rainfall, etc. The system is integrated with modern telecommunications technologies to ensure the timely dissemination of information.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) is mandated to issue short-range flood forecasts, with a lead time of up to 24 hours, to concerned State Governments at identified locations, including the Himalayan States such as Uttarakhand. Timely flood forecasts are being issued when a certain threshold limit  is  reached.  Further,  CWC  is  providing  a  seven-day  advisory  flood  forecast through (https://ffs.india-water.gov.in/)/FloodWatch India 2.0 App/Email/Whatsapp/Facebook-CWCOfficial.FF/X-CWCOfficial\_FF, Youtube-CWC Flood updates, and CAP Alert through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Sachet portal. In addition, a C-FLOOD is a web-based platform that provides two-day-advance  inundation  forecasts  up  to  village  level  in  the  form  of  flood inundation  maps  and  water  level  predictions.  Also,  the  South  Asia  Flash  Flood Guidance System provides flash flood warnings 6-24 hours in advance at the watershed level, with a resolution of 4km x 4km for flash flood-prone South Asian countries.

The Geological Survey of India (GSI), under the Ministry of Mines, has been mandated to  issue  regional  landslide  forecasts/early  warnings  based  on  rainfall  thresholds. Currently,  GSI  issues  daily  operational/experimental  regional  landslide  forecast bulletins  for  21  districts  in  08  (eight)  States,  including  Uttarakhand,  during  the monsoon  period.  These  bulletins  forecast  information  on  the  possibility  of  the occurrence of landslides up to the taluk/sub-divisional level daily for the next 48 hours.

- (b) The meteorological infrastructure in Uttarakhand has been strengthened during the last three years with the following upgrades:
-  A  new  X-Band  Doppler  Weather  Radar  (DWR)  was  installed  and  made operational at Lansdowne on 23 February 2024. With this addition, a total of three DWRs are now operational in the State, located at Surkandaji, Mukteshwar, and Lansdowne.
-  Six (06) new Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) were installed in 2025, taking the total number of AWS in the State to 31.
-  The State is equipped with 20 Automatic Rain Gauges (ARGs) and 71 stations under the District-wise Rainfall Monitoring Scheme (DRMS).
-  Additionally, one Helipad Automated Weather Observing System (HAWOS) has been  installed  at  Kedarnath  to  support  weather  monitoring  in  high-altitude regions.
- (c) Yes. The Government is using satellite-based remote sensing systems to monitor the melting and changes in the Himalayan  glaciers. The  Indian Space  Research Organisation (ISRO) employs advanced remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies to systematically monitor glacier extent, mass, movement, and dynamics in the Himalayan region. Satellite remote sensing serves as an effective tool for glacier inventory and monitoring due to its wide spatial coverage and frequent revisit capability. The assessment of long-term changes in glacial lakes is crucial for understanding  glacier  retreat,  assessing  the  risks  of  Glacial  Lake  Outburst  Floods (GLOFs), and analysing the impacts of climate change. Further, analysis of long-term satellite imagery covering the catchments of the Indian Himalayan river basins from 1984 to 2023 indicates notable changes in glacial lakes.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences, through its autonomous institute, the National Centre for  Polar  and  Ocean  Research  (NCPOR),  has  been  monitoring  six  glaciers  in  the Chandra basin (2437 km 2 ) in the western Himalaya since 2013 using satellite remote sensing and field techniques. Further, several Indian institutes/universities/organizations funded by the Government of India through MoES, Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Department of Space (DoS)-ISRO, Ministry of Mines (MoM), and Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) monitor Himalayan glaciers for various scientific studies including glacier melting and have reported accelerated heterogeneous mass loss in Himalayan glaciers.

- (d) The India Meteorological Department (IMD), under the Ministry, provides a range of scientific,  technical,  and  advisory  support  to  States  and  other  agencies  for  disaster preparedness. This support includes the following key areas:
-  IMD provides river sub-basin-wise Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPFs) that are issued twice daily and are valid for the next seven days to the CWC.
-  IMD  provides  high-resolution  forecasts  of  rainfall,  temperature,  humidity, wind, and extreme weather events, which are essential for watershed planning and water resource management.
-  Agrometeorological advisory services (AAS) are provided under the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS), helping farmers and watershed planners adapt operations to changing climate conditions.
-  IMD issues alerts on cyclones, heavy rainfall, lightning, and droughts, enabling State disaster management authorities (SDMAs) to take timely action.
-  IMD publishes district-level climate hazard and vulnerability atlases (e.g., for heatwaves,  droughts,  and  cyclones)  that  States  use  for  planning  resilient watershed development and prioritising risk mitigation.

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