Triveni Camp Site @earthdigitalbook
In the early hours of October 4th, 2023, a sudden and significant lake outburst occurred in the vicinity of Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim. The resulting surge of water, reaching speeds of approximately 15 metres per second, surged downstream, surpassing the CWC Melli FF site’s measurement point, which stood at 227 metres. This water level exceeded the danger level by nearly 3 metres by 6:00 AM destroyed Triveni Camp site on the bank of Teesta River. The cloudburst was so heavy that it led to a sudden rise in water levels, quickly taking the lake beyond its holding capacity. The area received at least five times the usual amount of rain. The cloudburst, coupled with the melting of the Lhonak Glacier, resulted in the Glacier Lake outburst flood (GLOF), a sudden release of a massive amount of water. Teesta river rises to 300ft after Lhonak lake burst at North Sikkim. The Sikkim flash flood, in which 14 people have been killed and 102 others are missing, has been so intense because it was the result of a cloudburst causing a glacial lake to overflow. A glacial lake outburst flood, or GLOF, usually results in more damage and destruction than a flood caused by excess rainfall alone. All of this water flowed downhill, leaving destruction in its wake, and reached Sikkim’s biggest hydropower project – the Teesta-III project in Chungthang – about 5,000 feet above sea level. The water, with all the debris it picked up along the way, rammed into the dam, causing parts of it to give way.
Created By: Dr. Sanghamitra Adhya
