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 bother.While a discussion on GF3 would be complex and involve several factors unique to each hazard, for the ease of this analysis, let’s stick to GLOFs, which remain one of the most significant threats to the Indian Himalayas. GLOF mitigation plans are designed scientifically and have five elements – assessments, monitoring, early warning, mitigation and community awareness. A fair bit of work has been done under these programmes, though a lot remains to be done. India’s National GLOF Risk Mitigation Project (NGRMP) was approved in 2024. Here’s how it is going so far:AssessmentSince 2020, National Remote Sensing Centre has mapped 28,000 lakes across the 11 Himalayan river basins (25% in India’s three basins), with detailed studies by local and international scientists on associated risks. From these risk assessments, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) identified 195 at-risk glacial lakes, in four categories of cascading risk, prompting the Rs 150-crore National GLOF Risk Mitigation Programme (2024).The programme funds and guides States to lead risk reduction in their jurisdictions. Scientific expeditions to these high-altitude lakes, often above 17,000 ft and accessible only four months a year, make assessments of water volume, moraine dam stability, glacier health and vulnerability of downstream communities and infrastructure to define risk from that lake.MonitoringWhile the targeted 195 lakes may not be the only ones at risk, they are the most likely ones. Solar-powered Automated Weather Monitoring Systems (AWS) are required at each lake to measure temperature, humidity, radiation, precipitation, winds and lake levels, at multiple daily intervals, transmitting data via satellite for continuous health monitoring. Although several such systems are deployed at avalanche-prone sites, only three glacial lakes in India currently have such AWS. The NGRMP successfully dispatched expeditions to 40 of the highest-risk lakes, with several states/UTs developing and implementing plans for risk monitoring and mitigation. However, sustaining the effort and the energy remains a challenge, especially the gaps in speedy deployment of funds. Early warning systemsThe third element of the programme needs bespoke treatment, is complex, resource-intensive, and requires sensors with downstream connectivity, linked to alarms and sirens. We are quite deficient in establishing such systems, except for hydel projects deploying sensors about 5-odd km upstream. Currently, only the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)/Indian Army outposts in the upper reaches operate as manual early warning systems. The ITBP post at Zanak, 8-km downstream of South Lhonak, issued the first warning of rising waters in 2023, saving many lives along the Teesta.MitigationReducing glacial lake risk is challenging. It has been attempted, though not widely. Nepal has constructed artificial channels to increase outflows for Tsho Rolpa and Imja Tsho lakes; Bhutan has used similar methods for one lake; while Tajikistan has succeeded immensely. Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh are working on three lakes currently, but efforts need scaling up – many more lakes need heightened, but managed outflows. Another risk-reduction method involves installing flow-through retention structures, like causeways, downstream to slow water and debris flow. In northwest Sikkim, waters from 185 glacial lakes converge into the Lachen River. The lowest gradient, widest valley could be the spot to experiment with. This approach requires advanced engineering and resources.Community awarenessAll hill communities worldwide deify these lakes, as they have the power to wreak havoc once a generation, interpreted as the ‘anger of the Gods’. In my experience, folklore and memories in hill villages are a valuable source of information for assessment and possible mitigation. Bringing the latest technologies to these regions but making these communities maintain and manage these systems is the best way forward.Trans-boundary cooperation for the borderless HimalayasHimalayas are a unified geography and the risk ignores political borders. Glaciers, slopes, rivers and rainfall systems transcend geometrically-drawn political borders. In the case of Nepal, India shares at least six major river systems. A 24/7 operational link between India’s Central Water Commission control rooms and Nepal’s institutions would be a simple first step. This would allow engineers on shift to exchange rainfall, river stage, barrage releases, lake data, and warnings without formal diplomatic delays.None of this is beyond us. We have done it before. The 1999 Orissa super-cyclone, the 2001 Bhuj earthquake and the 2004 Tsunami – all led to significant improvements in early warning and preparedness levels on a national scale.For GLOFs, we have the science, the satellites and the funds, but in the mountains, a financial year or a utilisation certificate hold no meaning. One missed season lets a lake grow for another 12 months, raising the risk more and more. We need a scaled up national mission and death to death-by-process.Safi Ahsan Rizvi is an ex-IPS officer and former Advisor, NDMA.