Parts of the Dooars region in North Bengal were placed on alert following reports of a glacial lake outburst in Bhutan on Friday.
According to Bhutanese media reports, the outburst occurred at Shintaphu glacial lake, located below Wakila Mountain in Gasa district. The Bhutan Broadcasting Service reported that residents had been asked to move to safer locations. The scale of the outburst and its potential downstream impact remain unclear.
In West Bengal, authorities are monitoring areas along the Sankosh River, particularly Kumargram in Alipurduar district. State Minister of State for Home and Hill Affairs Bishal Lama confirmed that an alert had been sounded in vulnerable parts of the Dooars.
Shintaphu is considered one of Bhutan’s potentially dangerous glacial lakes. Authorities are monitoring the situation to assess possible risks to downstream communities.
