There is a stir in the glaciers of Uttarakhand, giving dangerous signals, read this special report
There is a constant movement in the glaciers in the entire Himalayan region including Uttarakhand. Reports of retreating glaciers and increase in the number and size of glacier lakes are now coming in large numbers. This has been revealed in the Uttarakhand Disaster and Accident Analysis Initiative (UDAY) report of the month of October of Dehradun-based ADC Foundation.
Movement in the glaciers of Uttarakhand is a sign of danger
There is a constant movement in the glaciers of Uttarakhand, which is a very worrying situation. Anoop Nautiyal, founder of SDC Foundation, has described such incidents as very worrying. He has said that this situation can create serious problems in Uttarakhand in the coming times. This can affect the lives of humans and other creatures.
Sensitive glaciers should be monitored continuously
Anoop Nautiyal has demanded the state and central government agencies to regularly monitor the sensitive glaciers and expand the scope of their investigation. Along with this, citing the earlier Uday report, he has emphasized the need for the Uttarakhand Disaster Management Department to present a detailed update to all stakeholders on the glacier risks prevailing in the state.
Retreating Himalayan glaciers
According to the Uday report of October, the retreat of glaciers in the Himalayan region has increased the risk of glacial lake outburst and flash floods. A study published by Springer, a reputed publisher of scientific journals, states that the retreat of glaciers in the Western Himalayas is increasing the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) in the region.
The study, written by Suhail A Lone and G Jilani of the University of Kashmir, compares two climatically different valleys – the Lidder Basin in the Kashmir Himalayas and the Suru Basin in Ladakh – to examine the changes in the glacier condition and regions in recent decades.
Glaciers are retreating due to human intervention
The October Uday report also includes news about the Pindari glacier retreating by more than half a kilometer in the last 60 years. The report says that glaciers are retreating year after year due to the ever-increasing human intervention. Where the glacier’s zero point used to be 60 years ago, now there are crumbly mountains. These changes highlight environmental changes that reflect the retreat of glaciers and the challenges posed by natural and human factors.
