Srinagar, Sept. 3 -- Srinagar- The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed Jammu and Kashmir and other Himalayan States and Union Territories to strengthen early-warning and monitoring systems for glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and snow avalanches, with emphasis on advance risk assessment and timely evacuation.

The directions were issued during a review meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and attended by senior officials from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, besides representatives of central disaster management and scientific agencies.

The meeting reviewed preparedness across the Himalayan region to deal with GLOFs and avalanches, including identification of vulnerable...