Education Awareness and GLOF/Flood Evacuation Drill– Punatsangchhu Basin (16 - 19 June 2025)

The National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) in collaboration with the Department of Local Governance and Disaster Management (DLGDM) and Punakha Dzongkhag Administration conducted education and awareness program and evacuation drill for Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in the Punatsangchhu basin from 16 to 19 June 2025.
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The awareness program commenced on 16th June 2025 with vulnerable communities of Samdingkha (Toewang Gewog) and Lorina (Chubu Gewog), followed by a similar awareness program for the Khuruthang community on 17th June 2025. The main objectives of the program are to test GLOF Early Warning Systems (Sirens) and to strengthen disaster response and preparedness at community level. 

The program briefings on the overview of the existing GLOF Early Warning Systems along the Punatsangchhu basin and location of warning sirens in the settlement areas for warning communities in the event of GLOF for evacuation. Participants were also briefed to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of GLOF EWS followed by interactive group discussions and activities to identify evacuation routes, safe sites, and community responders.
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GLOF EWS mock drill was conducted on June 18, 2025 for Khuruthang and Samdingkha community by activating the warning siren, where communities were evacuated to the identified safe areas.  Approximately 374 community members including trainees from Technical Training Institute participated in the evacuation exercise. NCHM and DLGDM team conducted the awareness workshop for PHPA-I & PHPA-II and Basochhu Power Plant employees on 19th June 2025. 

GLOF Awareness and flood evacuation drill was conducted with the funding support of World Bank “Strengthening Risk Information for Disaster Resilience (RIR-WB) project implemented by DLGDM and NCHM.


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