More than 400 glacial lakes within India are showing worrying expansion trends and demand vigorous monitoring for disaster purposes, the Central Water Commission (CWC) has revealed in its latest monitoring report.
In the monthly monitoring report of Glacial Lakes and Water Bodies for June 2025 which was recently made public, the CWC said 432 glacial lakes spread across Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have been flagged for vigorous monitoring because of their potential to unleash sudden and destructive floods.
"432 Glacial Lakes (out of 681) located within India as per Glacial Lake Atlas 2023 display increase in water spread area during the month of June 2025, and hence demand vigorous monitoring for disaster purpose," the report said.
The findings come in the backdrop of widespread flooding across the country. At least seven people died in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in landslides triggered by heavy rainfall, while Punjab, already reeling under floods, received another spell of torrential rain on Monday, disrupting normal life and forcing the closure of all schools and colleges.
In Jammu and Kashmir, amid persistent downpours in Katra, the Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage remained suspended for the seventh consecutive day, after a landslide on the yatra route claimed 34 lives last Tuesday.
According to the CWC report, the total glacial lake area in India has grown by over 30 per cent since 2011 -- rising from 1,917 hectares to 2,508 hectares.
"The total Inventory area of Glacial Lakes within India was 1,917 Ha during the year 2011 which has increased to 2,508 Ha during the year 2025 (June). There is a 30.83% increase in area. (Out of 100GLs, only 55 GLs were considered for this interpretation. The remaining lakes include 40 SDC lakes which have no inventory details as well as lakes which were not analysed/have been merged during the month of June, 2025.)," the report said.
Arunachal Pradesh accounts for the highest number of expanding lakes (197), followed by Ladakh (120), Jammu and Kashmir (57), Sikkim (47), Himachal Pradesh (6) and Uttarakhand (5).
Overall, the Himalayan region saw 1,435 glacial lakes expand in June 2025.
"Out of 2843 GLs & WBs monitored, 1435 show increase in area, 1008 show decrease in area, 108 show no change in area and 292 were not able to be analysed from remote sensing data, during the month of June 2025," the report said.
Stressing the need for urgent preparedness, the CWC recommended the installation of real-time monitoring systems, satellite-based alerts and early-warning mechanisms for downstream communities.
It also called for closer coordination between the Ministry of Jal Shakti, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and state disaster management authorities, alongside transboundary cooperation with Nepal, Bhutan and China, given that many expanding lakes lie across borders but feed Indian rivers.
"The Himalayan Region (HR) is facing important challenges in coping with the adverse effects of climate change. Physically, the shrinking of mountain glaciers and expansion of Glacial Lakes are amongst the most recognizable and dynamic impacts of climate warming in this environment," the report said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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