India boosts Himalayan monitoring after Nepal glacier floods

India has heightened its surveillance in the Himalayan region that borders China and Nepal, responding to the deadly floods that recently devastated parts of Nepal. Authorities confirmed on Saturday that the increased monitoring is a precautionary measure following the disaster, which is believed to stem from a glacial lake outburst.

The incident occurred on the Tibet-Nepal border on Wednesday, triggering a massive debris flow, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The catastrophic event has left nearly 3,000 people still unaccounted for, while the confirmed death toll has reached 633.

Madan Kaushik, the Minister for Disaster Management in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, stated that authorities have ordered the monitoring of all identified glaciers and glacial lakes within the region. "We have asked teams to be vigilant and monitor if a similar situation occurs anywhere in the state," he told AFP.

Uttarakhand is recognized as one of India's most ecologically sensitive areas, housing 1,266 glacial lakes, according to government data. While the precise cause of the glacial collapse remains under investigation, scientists widely attribute the increasing frequency of such disasters to climate change, which is causing glaciers to melt globally.

Scientists have issued warnings that the Himalayan glaciers, a critical water source for nearly two billion people, are melting at an unprecedented rate. The melting of glaciers and permafrost also poses risks to the stability of mountain slopes, potentially increasing the likelihood of landslides. Experts suggest that climate change, combined with poorly planned development, is exacerbating the frequency, destructive power, and overall impact of these natural disasters.