this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2023
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Kind of surprising it failed so soon after construction. Was this an extreme flood event or was it constructed improperly?
I hate to sound like a broken record but the Indian government’s pro-coal development path is partly to blame for the rise in extreme weather faced by India. As one of the more vulnerable populous nations you would think they would have more awareness but unfortunately the current government seems to only care about the short term and not the long term well being of the Indian people.
You can see my extended explanation above, but in short it was due to a glacial moraine outburst flood upstream, releasing two-thirds of the water of Lhonak Lake in one go. The lake was known to be at high risk of bursting the moraine.
The lake itself was caused by glacial melt due to global warming, first appearing in the 1960s. The bursting of the lake this summer will almost certainly be traced to the record high temperatures recorded this summer, which led to an increase in size of the lake and overtopping the moraine that held it in place.
This article has satellite images showing the recent growth of the lake and then the recent release of most of its waters:
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sikkim-flash-floods-lhonak-lake-isros-satellite-images-show-how-sikkims-lhonak-lake-burst-caused-floods-4450175