Flood alerts, evacuations in Bengal, Assam after Bhutan glacial lake outburst
The flood water from the Sintaphu lake in Bhutan was predicted to flow downstream into India.
Black News 
A flood caused by a glacial lake outburst in Bhutan on Thursday prompted the authorities in West Bengal and Assam to issue flash flood alerts for districts along major rivers and evacuate persons in vulnerable areas downstream.
In West Bengal, Cooch Behar, Tufanganj and Busirhat districts along the Sankosh river and its tributaries were on high alert, Reuters reported.
In Assam, settlements along the Brahmaputra river were also asked to remain alert, The Indian Express reported.
Glacial lake outburst floods occur when a lake fed by glacial melt breaches suddenly.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state was monitoring the impact of the glacial lake outburst in vulnerable areas of Dhubri and Kokrajhar districts.
The state’s teams were coordinating with the National Disaster Response Force and other agencies, Sarma said on social media. “Residents are requested to stay alert, follow official updates and cooperate with local officials,” he added.
West Bengal Water Resources Minister Nisith Pramanik said that persons living near tea gardens in the northern part of the state and riverbeds “must evacuate immediately”, reported The Indian Express.
The glacial lake outburst occurred in the Sintaphu lake near Wakila mountain in Bhutan.
On Thursday night, the Union water resources department said that the flood water would flow downstream and reach the Bhutan-India border in six to eight hours, and was likely to impact districts in West Bengal...
