NGT impleads NDMA in suo moto case on expanding Himalayan glacial lakes

New Delhi:The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has impleaded the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as an additional respondent in a suo motu case concerning the rapid expansion of glacial lakes in the Himalayan region and the increasing threat they pose to downstream lives and infrastructure.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, along with Expert Member Dr A. Senthil Vel, was hearing two connected original applications initiated on the tribunal’s own motion following media reports on the multiplication of glacial lakes in Himachal Pradesh and Tibet, as well as a 10.81 per cent expansion of Himalayan glacial lakes over the past 13 years.

During the hearing, counsel for the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti submitted that the NDMA was a necessary party to the proceedings, pointing out that the authority’s role and actions in addressing glacier-related disaster risks had already been referred to in a reply filed by one of the respondents.

Accepting the submission, the bench ordered, “We implead NDMA as additional respondent,” and directed the authority to file a reply affidavit detailing the measures adopted so far and suggesting steps to address the threat posed by glacial lakes in the country.

The tribunal also directed its registry to issue notice to the NDMA and listed the matter for further hearing on April 10.

The suo motu case arises from reports highlighting that climate change-induced glacier retreat has led to the formation and rapid expansion of glacial lakes across the Himalayan region, significantly increasing the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Such events can trigger sudden and catastrophic flooding, endangering downstream habitations, roads, hydropower projects and other critical infrastructure.

Earlier, the NGT had taken note of a study by the Central Water Commission (CWC) which showed a 10.81 per cent increase in the surface area of Himalayan glacial lakes between 2011 and 2024, with India recording a sharper rise of about 33.7 per cent during the same period.

The tribunal observed that several lakes had expanded by more than 40 per cent, placing them in a high-risk category for potential GLOF events, particularly in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

The NGT stressed the urgent need for enhanced monitoring, early warning systems and improved flood management strategies. In subsequent hearings, it expanded the scope of the matter by impleading multiple expert bodies, including the National Institute of Hydrology and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, and examined data submitted by the CWC on trend analysis, risk indexing and downstream vulnerabilities linked to glacial lakes.