Flood fears have gripped the Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts of West Bengal following reports of a glacial lake outburst flood in Bhutan. Both districts have been placed on high alert. According to reports, a lake burst following heavy rainfall in Bhutan, releasing nearly 74 lakh cubic metres of water into the Mo Chhu, or Sankosh River. The sudden surge could affect areas along the Sankosh River, including parts of the Buxa Tiger Reserve.

The Alipurduar administration has started shifting residents living along the riverbanks to safer locations. Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon has appealed to people to remain alert. The Cooch Behar district administration has also sounded an alert along the Sankosh and Raidak rivers, particularly in Tufanganj-II block and areas bordering Assam.

District Magistrate Jitin Yadav said people are being alerted and officials have been deployed to monitor the situation. Both district administrations are closely monitoring river water levels and have initiated precautionary measures to deal with any possible flood situation.