New Delhi urged Beijing to act yesterday over an artificial lake in Tibet that was pumping water into a river which burst its banks in India's Himachal Pradesh state bordering China.
'We have requested that the Chinese authorities monitor the lake around the clock and keep us informed,' Home Secretary V.K. Duggal said after an emergency meeting in New Delhi attended by representatives of key ministries.
He said Chinese officials had promised to provide all necessary help to cope with the emergency.
Mr Duggal said 5,000 people had been evacuated from the Kinnaur region after the Sutlej River burst its banks on Sunday.
Dozens of homes, bridges and roads in the mountainous state have been washed away, forcing villagers to seek shelter in schools and government buildings on higher ground.
'We will deploy paramilitary troops and army helicopters to evacuate more people if the situation worsens,' Mr Duggal said.
