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Seven high-impact Nepal-like, multi-hazard and cascading disasters have occurred in India since 2000. These include glacial collapse, avalanches, landslides, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), landslide lake outburst floods (LLOFs) and/or extreme precipitation as seen in Sutlej-Kinnaur (2000), Yigong-Siyang (2000), Parechu (2005), Kedarnath (2013), Chamoli (2021), South Lhonak (2023) and Dharali (2025). While not a particular classification in literature or policy, they could be referred to as ‘Glacio-fluvial flash floods’ (GF3) in this article.

So, is India prepared to deal with the aftermath of GF3s? The answer is middling. 

Much noise is created in the media and by mandarins of things-to-do, but as the media cycle evaporates, so does the euphoria and the drive. And the best of intentions are put to test and/or ground to dust by that one word – process. Having spent 36 years in government, I do believe that the death-by-process pandemic, that has impaired policy implementation for decades, must be done-to-death.

To put this in context, global warming stood at about 0.7 degrees above pre-industrial levels in 2000 and passed one degree by 2015; 2024 became the first full year above 1.5. As a result, heat, glacial melt and extreme weather events are rising. So such disasters of consequence will also rise in frequency and intensity. To deal with them, India has several disaster management plans and a fair kitty of funds, as provided by the 15th and now 16th Finance Commissions. 

The devil lies in the process. Hazard-specific national mitigation plans are approved and in action, but the cycle of use, release and certification of funds appears to remain a........

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