A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) has been reported at Shintaphu Lake in Bhutan’s Gasa district , triggering flood alerts across several districts in Assam and West Bengal. The alerts were sounded for possible downstream effects along India’s Sankosh river.

In Assam, authorities who were tracking its potential impact in Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts said that the chances of flooding appeared to be reducing. In West Bengal, Cooch Behar, Tufanganj, and Busirhat districts were on alert. Pankaj Chakravarty, district commissioner of Kokrajhar, to The Indian Express: “I just visited the area along the banks of the Sankosh River. The water seems to be receding at this point. Currently, we do not anticipate inundation or flood in the vulnerable areas.”

A glacial lake is a large body of water that sits in front of, on top of, or beneath a melting glacier. A GLOF occurs when the water dammed by a glacier or a moraine (accumulation of debris) is released suddenly.…