> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://newsanek.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # India Issues Flood Advisory for North Bengal, Assam After Bhutan Lake Outburst - URL: https://newsanek.com/flood-advisory-north-bengal-assam-bhutan-glacial-lake-outburst/ - Published: 2026-11-03T15:55:14.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T15:55:14.000Z - Description: India has warned of a sharp rise in the Sankosh River after a glacial lake outburst at Bhutan's Shintaphu Lake, with alerts in North Bengal and Assam. - Author: Kumar Ujjwal - Tags: India, West Bengal, #state-west-bengal, #starter The Government of India has issued a special advisory for parts of West Bengal and Assam after a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) was reported at Shintaphu Lake in Bhutan on Thursday evening, October 29\. According to WION, the advisory warns that water levels could rise sharply along the Sankosh River, which flows from Bhutan into India. ### Key points - A glacial lake outburst was reported at Shintaphu Lake in Bhutan's Gasa district on October 29 evening. - India has warned of a sudden rise in water levels in Alipurduar district of West Bengal and Dhubri district of Assam. - Alerts have also been issued in the Darjeeling hills, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts. - NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed in Tufanganj and Boxirhat in Cooch Behar. ## What happened in Bhutan The outburst was reported at Shintaphu Lake, which lies below Wakila Mountain in Lungo, Laya Gewog, in Bhutan's Gasa district. Sirens were sounded to warn people living near riverbanks, and residents in the affected area were reportedly moved to safer ground. Shintaphu is one of Bhutan's 17 potentially dangerous glacial lakes. An official of Bhutan's National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology said a water-level monitoring station at Taktsimakhang had not triggered any alert at the time of the first reports. The size of the outburst and its impact downstream were still unclear. A GLOF happens when water held in a lake formed by melting glaciers is released suddenly, often after a natural barrier fails or is breached. The surge can move quickly through mountain valleys and carry debris, damaging settlements, roads, bridges and farmland. ## Alerts and preparations in India Shintaphu Lake is in the Punatsangchhu River basin. The river is called the Sankosh after it enters India. India has warned that a flash flood in the upper reaches of the Punatsangchhu could cause a sudden rise in water levels in Alipurduar and Dhubri. Alerts have been issued across parts of North Bengal, including the Darjeeling hills, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar. NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed in Tufanganj and Boxirhat in Cooch Behar, along the Sankosh near the Assam border, and residents are being told about the possible threat. According to the advisory, floodwater was expected to reach the India-Bhutan border within six to eight hours. Authorities in both districts have been asked to watch the situation closely and take precautionary steps. ## Warnings from public representatives BJP MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista, posted a safety alert on X for people living along the river. He wrote that a GLOF had been reported at Lemthang in Bhutan and that water was flowing through the Mofu River towards the Sunkosh River. He said everyone living in the catchment areas of the Sunkosh and its connected tributaries had been told to move to a safe distance immediately. West Bengal Forest Minister and Kumargram MLA Manoj Kumar Oraon also urged residents living along the Sankosh in Alipurduar to be careful, according to the report. ## Why it matters People living along the Sankosh in North Bengal and Assam could face a sudden rise in the river with little time to prepare. Residents of the named districts should follow instructions from local authorities and move away from riverbanks if asked. The full extent of the outburst and its downstream effect had not been confirmed in the initial reports. --- ### Source - [WION: India issues flood advisory for West Bengal and Assam after Bhutan's Shintaphu glacial lake outburst](https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-issues-flood-advisory-for-west-bengal-and-assam-after-bhutan-s-shintaphu-glacial-lake-outburst-1793329783097?ref=newsanek.com)