Sikkim High Court asks Centre and State to install early warning systems “to prevent a recurrence of a calamity like the one that struck Sikkim in October, 2023.”
Gangtok: With 40 glacial lakes in Sikkim on record as high-risk, the High Court of Sikkim has asked the State Government and the Central Government to immediately take steps to procure and install early warning systems, noting that Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and neighbouring Bhutan have already installed such systems to mitigate the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) [In Re: Climatic Justice in the State of Sikkim].
A Division Bench of Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan passed the order on November 5, 2026, in a public interest litigation registered as WP(PIL) No. 11 of 2026. The matter will next be heard on November 18.
Why the Court turned to the lakes
The Bench began with a reply affidavit filed by the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) on October 30, 2026. Annexed to it was a Home Department notification dated September 11, 2024, which records that, according to the National Disaster Management Authority, Sikkim has 40 high-risk glacial lakes. The affidavit also set out studies carried out on various lakes in the State.
Referring to the October 2023 outburst at South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, which triggered massive flooding along the Teesta river, the Court said:
“We persuade the State Government as well as the Central Government to immediately take steps towards procuring and installing such early warning systems to prevent a recurrence of a calamity like the one that struck Sikkim in October, 2023.”
By the next date of hearing, the State must report what it has done towards acquiring such systems.
Centre’s agencies brought on board
At the amicus’s request, the Court impleaded the Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, and the National Disaster Management Authority as respondents, and asked the Deputy Solicitor General of India to take notice on their behalf.
Senior Advocates Dr Doma T Bhutia and TR Barfungpa, also appearing as amici curiae, pointed out that the State had already notified a High Level Steering Committee, a Multi-Disciplinary Task Force and the Sikkim Commission on Glacial Hazards. Accepting their suggestion, the Court asked the State to place on record the steps taken by these bodies. A status report filed on behalf of the Geological Survey of India on its natural hazards work in Sikkim was taken on board for the next hearing.
One nodal officer for every ten lakes
Amicus curiae Sudhir Mishra proposed, keeping in mind the precautionary principle, disaster preparedness and anticipatory climate resilience, that a State Nodal Officer for the protection of glacial lakes be appointed within the SSDMA. Four additional nodal officers would work under that officer, each in charge of ten of the 40 lakes.
Under the proposal, the Nodal Officer would be the single point of contact for early warning measures, disaster preparedness, review of glacier movements, the population affected and the gathering of critical data from other departments. The amicus suggested that the officer be of sufficiently senior rank, preferably from the IAS, IFS or IPS, with prior experience in disaster management and flood control.
The Bench said it agreed with the suggestion but would first give the State an opportunity to consider it and to take proactive steps, if not already taken, towards control of the high-risk and critical glacial lakes. The State may file its response by the next posting.
A side note on black cardamom
Flagged in the amicus’s note, a newspaper report of October 11, 2026 on the decline of black cardamom plantations in Sikkim also drew the Bench’s attention. The report attributes the decline to changing weather, with warmer winters and less predictable rainfall leaving plants vulnerable to disease. The Court observed:
“We are of the view that climate change would cause many such issues and it should be addressed in right earnest.”
Before passing any orders on the issue, the Court sought the State’s response on the steps taken under its “Mero Alaichi, Mero Dhan” (My Cardamom, My Wealth) mission and on the other suggestions in the amicus’s note dated October 31, 2026.
Why the order matters
The South Lhonak outburst of October 2023 damaged the Chungthang dam, washed away bridges and stretches of National Highway 10, and left a trail of death and destruction across the Teesta valley. With 40 lakes already classified as high risk, the order moves the debate from post-disaster relief to prevention, asking both governments to put warning technology in place and the State to fix clear responsibility for each lake. The State’s response on November 18 will show how far the proposed nodal-officer model and early warning systems are taken forward.
Case Title: In Re: Climatic Justice in the State of Sikkim
Case No.: WP(PIL) No. 11 of 2026
Bench: Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan
Date of Order: November 5, 2026
Amici Curiae: Advocate Sudhir Mishra, with Advocates Ritwika Nanda, Petal Chandhok and Aadya Sharma; Senior Advocate Dr Doma T Bhutia, with Advocates Saurav Rai and Sonam Topden Bhutia; Senior Advocate TR Barfungpa, with Advocate Parvin Manger
For the State: Additional Advocates General Aarohi Bhalla and Zangpo Sherpa, Government Advocate SK Chettri and Assistant Government Advocate Sujan Sunwar
For the Central Government authorities: Deputy Solicitor General of India Sangita Pradhan, with Advocates Natasha Pradhan and Amit Kumar Sharma