Itanagar, Sep 23 A five-day awareness and sensitisation programme on Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risks has concluded in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, with authorities stressing timely warnings, evacuation plans and community preparedness in vulnerable downstream areas of the Mago and Sela regions.
The programme, aimed at strengthening preparedness among communities living near high-risk glacial lakes, concluded at the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Out Post at Donghseng Mang, Lungla, on Wednesday.
SSB personnel and members of the local community attended the concluding programme, an official release said here.
Addressing the participants, Tawang district disaster management officer (DDMO) Genden Tsomu stressed the need for greater awareness and preparedness among people living in vulnerable downstream areas.
She urged the participants to remain vigilant and ensure that proper evacuation plans and locally available early warning mechanisms were in place to deal with any emergency.
Given the low-lying location of the SSB camp at Donghseng Mang, Tsomu emphasised the importance of quickly disseminating warnings in the event of a possible flash flood or other threat.
She also called upon the participants to promptly alert neighbouring communities whenever there were indications of a flash flood or any other emerging danger.
Senior consultant Dr Bhupen Mili, explained the causes and possible impacts of GLOFs and briefed the participants about the time floodwaters could take to reach the Donghseng Mang SSB Camp in the event of a glacial lake outburst.
He also sensitised the participants about safe evacuation routes, identification of safe locations and the need for timely evacuation and coordinated community action to protect lives and property.
As part of the five-day campaign, similar awareness programmes were organised at Chaksam, Phongda, Grangkhar and Khet Bridge, covering vulnerable downstream communities.
During the visit to Grangkhar, the village identified as highly vulnerable to such emergencies, residents were advised to identify suitable safe locations and evacuation routes in advance for use during a GLOF or flash flood.
Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) also conducted practical training sessions throughout the programme, covering life-saving skills, search and rescue techniques and emergency response procedures.
The hands-on training was aimed at improving the preparedness and response capabilities of local communities and other stakeholders during emergencies.
The programme focused on GLOF risks, locally available early warning mechanisms, evacuation procedures, identification of safe locations and community-level preparedness.
Emphasis was also laid on timely action, effective communication and coordination among local communities, security forces and disaster management authorities.
The organisers highlighted the important role of community participation in disaster risk reduction, particularly in remote settlements located downstream of high-risk glacial lakes.
Participants were advised to remain alert to official warnings and strictly follow advisories and instructions issued by the district administration and disaster management authorities.
The campaign concluded with an emphasis on improving local-level early warning dissemination, strengthening community preparedness and identifying designated safe locations and evacuation routes to minimise possible loss of life and property during a GLOF or flash flood.
(PTI News)
