Exclusive: Indian Lake That Caused Flood Was About to Get a Warning System.

In a hilly region of northeast India called Sikkim, there was a terrible flood caused by heavy rain and a big snowslide. This caused a lake called Lhonak Lake to overflow and flood the area. Unfortunately, 18 people lost their lives, and more than 100 are still missing.

Scientists and government officials were working on a system to warn people early if something like this might happen. They had put in a camera and some tools to check the lake's level and weather. They hoped this system could have given people more time to leave the area.

A scientist explained that usually, warning systems like this can give people a few minutes to an hour to get to safety. They also had plans to put in a special sensor that would alert them if the lake was about to burst. This would connect to an alarm or siren to tell people to quickly move to higher ground.

The equipment was meant to send information to the authorities, but the camera lost power in late September for an unknown reason. This project had support from the Swiss embassy.

Because of climate change, places with high mountains are facing more risks of floods like this. When the lakes filled with water from melted ice suddenly overflow, it can be very dangerous for the communities living below.

Research from 2022 says there are over 200 lakes like this in the Himalayan region that are very risky for nearby communities in countries like India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, and Bhutan.

In the past few years, they've set up early warning systems in Nepal, Pakistan, and Bhutan. The systems in Lhonak Lake and another nearby lake called Shako Cho were supposed to be among the first in India for this kind of flood.

Scientists had been saying for years that these two lakes were at risk of floods, but it took a while to figure out the plan and find the money.

India is planning to put warning systems in more lakes like this, according to Kamal Kishore, a person from India's National Disaster Management Authority. He didn't say much more about the Lhonak Lake project.

A glaciologist named Farooq Azam pointed out that even if the system had been in place, it might not have made a huge difference. These kinds of events happen very fast, and even with a warning system, people might only gain a few minutes to an hour to get to safety.