Glaciers are
here to stay in the Himalayas. Studies conducted by glaciologists
across the Himalayan region in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand have shown that global warming has little to do with their
melting.
The conclusion was drawn by glaciologists after studying the behaviour
of 35 Himalayan glaciers. The Mentossa glacier in Miyar valley of
Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh has, in fact, expanded in the last
few years while there is no change in the Kangriz glacier in Zanskar
valley of J&K since 1913.
Glaciologists, claiming that global warming and melting of glaciers
have no relation with each other, say each glacier is behaving in a
different manner. Had global warming been responsible, then all of
them would have behaved in a similar manner, they claimed.
The prediction that glaciers would melt by 2035 by Professor Syed
Iqbal Hasnain may have landed the Inter Governmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) chairman R K Pachauri in a tight spot, but data
collected by glaciologits across the Himalayan region shows that such
claims do not hold water, and the major rivers originating from the
Himalayas would continue to flow for the years to come as the glaciers
are going to stay.
Glaciologist Milap Chand Sharma from Jawaharlal Nehru University says
after studying 27 glaciers in Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal
Pradesh, he has found that the melting taking place is normal. His
conclusion is based on study of the behaviour of glaciers from 1975 to
2008.
The Miyar glacier in Lahaul region covers an area of 27 square km.
Since 1971, it has receded by just 150 meters. If it continues to melt
at this pace, it would take around 3,000 years for it to melt
completely, he added.
A comparison of photographs of glaciers available from 1907 shows that
after 1998, glaciesr have not changed much, says Sharma.
