Key highlights of the CWC report:

• Rapid Expansion of Glacial Lakes: Glacial lakes across the Himalayan region expanded by 10.81% in surface area from 2011 to 2024. In India alone, glacial lakes grew by 33.7% over the same period, posing serious risks to local communities and ecosystems.
• High-Risk Lakes: The report identifies 67 lakes in India with a more than 40% increase in size, placing them in the high-risk category for glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
• Regional Expansion Trends: The surface area of glacial lakes in the Himalayas grew from 533,401 hectares in 2011 to 591,108 hectares in 2024, largely due to accelerated glacier melt from rising temperatures.
• Advanced Monitoring: The CWC is employing satellite technologies like Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery for precise, year-round data collection to monitor lake size and potential outburst risks.

• Established in 1945 as the Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission (CWINC);
• On the advice of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (a member of the then Viceroy’s Executive Council).

• Initiating, coordinating, and furthering schemes for the control, conservation, and utilization of water resources.
• Compiles and maintains nationwide National Register of Large Dams (NRLD).
• Conducts hydrological surveys.

PYQ:

[2020] Consider the following statements:

1. 36% of India’s districts are classified as “overexploited” or “critical” by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).

2. CGWA was formed under the Environment (Protection) Act.

3. India has the largest area under groundwater irrigation in the world.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 1 and 3 only