The deadly glacial disaster in Nepal has sharpened a question India can no longer afford to leave unanswered: how prepared is the country for a similar chain reaction from its own Himalayan glacial lakes? The issue assumes urgency with around 200 high-risk glacial lakes identified across India's Himalayan region, as reported by TOI's Pradeep Thakur .
The Himalayan ranges in India are home to about 7,500 glacial lakes, according to a government survey, with roughly 10% located in Sikkim alone. Of these, 25 in Sikkim have been classified as very high-risk, highlighting the scale of the threat posed by rapidly changing mountain environments.
