Kathmandu [Nepal], July 10 (ANI): Nepali lawmakers have demanded a cross-border information sharing mechanism with China following the devastating flood of Tuesday, which till now has claimed nine lives, with 19 still unaccounted for.

Addressing Wednesday's parliamentary session, lawmakers from both the opposition as well as ruling parties demanded a cross-border sharing mechanism with China as it was absent on Tuesday.

'In those areas there is absence of proper sirens and presage. In the absence of those, the damages incurred have been the preliminary suspicion. But now in the border areas that Nepal shares with China, glaciers are at risk and can explode at any time, inviting another disaster. Regarding this issue, the Government of Nepal should have serious conversations with the Chinese side, engage in information exchange and take precautions for the possible disasters,' Madhav Sapkota, lawmaker from the opposition CPN-Maoist Centre said.

Rajendra Bajgain, a lawmaker from the ruling Nepali Congress, also cautioned the government for continued interaction with the Chinese side regarding possible disasters.

'The Bhotekoshi flood and glaciers in Tibet and the dams, these issues have been read in the news a lot. We have heard the news that China is building dams, but those who are living downstream- we Nepali were expected to be affected the most and it also has started to follow. It is an issue to be discussed with China through diplomatic channels, I want to drag the attention of Government of Nepal towards it,' Bajgain said.

Though China has been alerting the Nepali side over time about heavy rainfall in Tibet, which might trigger flooding in Nepal, no alert was given about Tuesday's possible flooding. As per the preliminary investigation by Nepali authorities, it has been ascertained to be because of permafrost.

Permafrost refers to terrain made of compacted rock, snow, and soil that remains below 0 degrees Celsius year-round. Even light rainfall or increased temperatures can destabilize it, causing sudden floods or landslides.

The preliminary assessment was made by Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology- supported by satellite imagery, local officials from the border area, and geologists.

It is mentioned in the assessment that a section of long-frozen permafrost suddenly gave way near the river's source, which flows into Nepal via Gosainkunda Rural Municipality-1. The document also states that at least four of the river's glacial tributaries originate in Tibet. On the Nepali side, the catchment extends through glacial areas between Langtang Lirung and the Sangbu Ri ridge, reaching as far down as the Dudhkunda Ghattekhola area.

The Lhende River joins the Trishuli downstream from the Nepal-China friendship bridge at Rasuwagadhi, which was washed away by the flood.

Other glacial tributaries, including the Tibu glacier to the northeast, the Purupe glacier further upstream, and another glacier northwest of Langtang Himal, all contribute to the Lhende. These catchments collectively host at least seven glacial lakes on the Tibetan side, and a smaller one can be seen near Dudhkunda in Nepal.

Due to rising global temperatures, these permafrost areas have been receiving consistent rainfall in recent years. The warm precipitation accelerates the melting of permafrost--frozen mixes of snow, sand, and rock--which have remained stable for decades at subzero temperatures.

Tuesday's flood has affected several local units, including Gosaikunda, Aamachhodingmo, Uttargaya, and Kalika rural municipalities. The flood also disrupted the Pasang Lhamu Highway, with the section from Ghunche to Timure rendered impassable after the road cracked in Gosaikunda Rural Municipality-5.

Although it is suspected that the glacial lake burst and flooded due to floods or landslides, there is no conclusive evidence so far. ICIMOD's 2021 list shows that a glacial lake in the upper part of the Trishuli River in China's Tibetan Autonomous Region has been classified as high-risk.

Recent studies have shown that between 1990 and 2020, the size of glacial lakes in the basin increased by 33 percent and the number by 16 percent. Recent satellite images taken before the flooding have also shown an increase in the number of glacial lakes.

'Since cloud cover has hampered optical satellite analysis, it is mandatory to wait until the sky clears to verify whether any of these lakes have collapsed or whether there has been a sudden change in the volume of the lake,' the ICIMOD said in a statement.

As per the preliminary analysis by ICIMOD, global and regional weather forecasting systems, including ICIMOD's high-impact weather assessment toolkit, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Forecasting System, the European Center's Mid-Range Weather Forecasting, icosahedral non-hydrostatic weather models, as well as nearby real-time satellite rainfall products, do not indicate significant rainfall in Chinese catchments in the upper reaches in the days before the flood. This indicates that excessive rainfall was not the main cause of floods in Bhotekoshi and Trishuli. (ANI)