New Delhi, Oct 23: A Central Water Commission (CWC) report has revealed that glacial lakes across the Himalayan region have expanded by 9.24 per cent over the past 14 years—a stark reminder of accelerating climate change and melting glaciers.
According to the commission’s August Monthly Monitoring Report, the total area of Himalayan glacial lakes and water bodies grew from 5.30 lakh hectares in 2011 to 5.79 lakh hectares in 2025. Of the 2,843 lakes monitored through high-resolution Sentinel satellite data, 428 within India showed significant expansion and now require “vigorous monitoring for disaster preparedness.”
The expanding lakes are spread across several Himalayan states—133 in Ladakh, 50 in Jammu and Kashmir, 13 in Himachal Pradesh, seven in Uttarakhand, 44 in Sikkim, and 181 in Arunachal Pradesh. The overall water spread area within India grew by 22.56 per cent over the same period.
The CWC noted that 1,435 glacial lakes have expanded while 1,008 have shrunk. The report attributes the pattern to uneven glacier retreat driven by rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and the accumulation of meltwater.
“Shrinking glaciers and enlarging glacial lakes are among the most visible signs of global warming in the Himalayas,” the report stated, cautioning that larger lakes increase the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)—sudden breaches that can devastate downstream communities.
The commission said forecasting GLOFs remains extremely difficult, making continuous satellite-based observation and local preparedness essential. The data is shared monthly with disaster management authorities to aid early warning systems.
The CWC’s findings come months after the Glacial Lake Atlas of Indian River Basins (2023) mapped 28,043 glacial lakes larger than 0.25 hectares across the Himalayan region, including 7,570 within India’s river basins.
