"Nepal Estimates $4.78 Billion Reconstruction Cost After Glacial Flood Disaster"
Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)
sudden release of water when an ice or moraine dam fails, causing catastrophic downstream flooding.
Bhotekoshi River
a GLOF-prone Himalayan river flowing from the Nepal-Tibet border through a narrow, high-velocity gorge.
The Himalayas are geologically young fold mountains. Their rocks are loosely consolidated, slopes are steep, and the region sits on active seismic zones. These physical conditions make the Himalayan region far more unstable than older mountain systems. As global temperatures rise, Himalayan glaciers are retreating faster than the global average. In the short term, this increases meltwater volume and creates unstable glacial lakes. In the long term, it threatens the perennial river systems that hundreds of millions of people depend on for water, agriculture, and hydropower.
India and Nepal share one of South Asia's closest bilateral relationships. The two countries are linked by an open border across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim. The Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1950) allows free movement of people and goods without passports or visas. India is Nepal's largest trading partner. India's Neighborhood First policy places Nepal among its highest-priority partners and commits India to proactive engagement during crises. India's Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) framework, operated through the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Air Force, is the primary operational instrument for neighborhood disaster response.
The Tibetan Plateau is the headwater source for most of South Asia's major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, Indus, and upper Ganga tributaries. China, as the upper-riparian state, monitors over 3,000 glacial lakes on the plateau. The retreat of specific glaciers directly affects the river systems they sustain. The Bandarpunch glacier feeds the Yamuna, the Bara Shigri glacier feeds the Chenab, and the Siachen glacier feeds the Nubra, a tributary of the Indus. The Milam glacier feeds the Gori Ganga, and the Zemu glacier feeds the Teesta.
A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) occurs when water stored behind a glacial dam, made of ice or moraine, is suddenly released. The trigger can be an earthquake, an ice-rock avalanche, or structural failure as the dam weakens. When a lake breaches, it releases millions of cubic metres of water and debris within minutes. The Bhotekoshi River, flowing south from the Nepal-Tibet border through a narrow gorge, is one of the most GLOF-prone corridors in the Himalayas. The gorge amplifies flood velocity and debris load, leaving almost no warning time for downstream communities.
When a large-scale disaster affects Indian nationals abroad, information gaps become a serious humanitarian problem. Official agencies in the affected country track missing and rescued persons through multiple channels, but this data is often fragmented across hospitals, police stations, and relief camps. Families in India seeking information about missing relatives face language barriers, bureaucratic delays, and no single point of contact. …
Consider the following pairs:
Glacier — River
1.Bandarpunch — Yamuna
2.Bara Shigri — Chenab
3.Milam — Mandakini
4.Siachen — Nubra
5.Zemu — Manas
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far-reaching impact on the water resources of India?
Consider the following pairs of Glaciers and the Rivers they feed:
1.Bandarpunch — Yamuna
2.Bara Shigri — Chenab
3.Milam — Mandakini
4.Siachen — Nubra
5.Zemu — Manas
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Consider the following statements regarding Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Himalayas:
1.A GLOF occurs when water stored behind a moraine or ice dam is suddenly released.
2.The Bhotekoshi River corridor is considered one of the most GLOF-prone channels in the Himalayas.
3.China has a binding treaty obligation to share real-time glacial lake hazard data with India and Nepal.
4.Himalayan glaciers are retreating faster than the global average due to rising temperatures.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
With reference to the impact of Himalayan glacier melting on India's water resources, consider the following:
1.In the short term, accelerated glacial melt increases river discharge and flood risk.
2.In the long term, shrinking glaciers reduce the dry-season buffer flow that sustains perennial rivers.
3.Hydropower generation in Himalayan states is unaffected by long-term glacial retreat because monsoon rainfall compensates.
4.The Brahmaputra, Indus, and upper Ganga tributaries all originate from glaciers on or near the Tibetan Plateau.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Which of the following statements about the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) is/are correct?
1.The river basin is the unit of planning and management under NGRBA.
2.NGRBA spearheads river conservation efforts at the national level.
3.The Prime Minister of India is the ex-officio Chairman of NGRBA.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Consider the following statements about glacial lakes on the Tibetan Plateau:
1.China monitors over 3,000 glacial lakes on the Tibetan Plateau.
2.Of these, 187 are classified as high-risk.
3.A binding multilateral treaty requires China to share real-time hazard data with India and Nepal.
4.India and China manage shared river basins through Memoranda of Understanding on hydrological data.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
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