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South Lhonak Lake
October 10 , 2023
283 days
375
0
- due to incessant rains, leading to the release of water in downstream areas.
- It is one of the worst such disasters in the region in over 50 years.
- This caused the rise of water levels in Teesta River that flooded at least four districts, including Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi.
- Glacial lakes, like the South Lhonak Lake, are large bodies of water that sit in front of, on top of, or beneath a melting glacier.
- As they grow larger, they become more dangerous because glacial lakes are mostly dammed by unstable ice or sediment composed of loose rock and debris.
- In case the boundary around them breaks, huge amounts of water rush down the side of the mountains, which could cause flooding in the downstream areas.
- This is called glacial lake outburst floods or GLOF.
- GLOF can be triggered by several reasons, including earthquakes, extremely heavy rains and ice avalanches.
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