The National Green Tribunal has issued notice to the Centre and others in a matter regarding the rapid expansion of the Himalayan glacial lakes, raising concerns over the increasing risk of natural disasters.
The NGT took suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a news report showing about 10.81 per cent increase of the glacial lakes in the last 13 years due to the rising temperatures.
According to the report, the melting of glaciers due to increase in temperature paved way for larger glacial lakes, which held more water and, in turn, increased the risk of natural disasters like floods and landslides.
In an order passed on November 19, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said, "The report also notes that the surface area of glacial lakes in India has increased by 33.7 per cent from 2011 to 2024."
The tribunal noted the report had outlined the sudden growth of these lakes that posed a heightened risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF