Lok Sabha Question No. 96 (STARRED), answered on 2017-02-08
Subject: Monitoring of Glaciers
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *96 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 08, 2017

## MONITORING OF GLACIERS

- *96 SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY:

WILL THE MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES BE PLEASED TO STATE:

- (a) whether  any  monitoring  of  Himalayan  glaciers  and  the water  audit  of  the  rivers  of  the  Himalayan  Foothills  and Gangetic plains have been conducted during the last three years;
- (b)
- if so, the details and the outcome thereof;
- (c) whether  there  has  been  a  gradual  decline  of  Himalayan glaciers;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with its likely impact on future water supply to the glacially fed rivers of north India; and
- (e) the details of the corrective measures taken/being taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES (Dr. HARSH VARDHAN)

(a) TO (e): A STATEMENT IS LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE HOUSE.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *96  REGARDING  MONITORING  OF GLACIERS FOR ANSWER ON 8 th  FEBRUARY, 2017.

- (a) Yes, Madam. A total of six glaciers namely Sutri Dhaka, Batal, Bara  Shigri,  Samudra  Tapu,  Gepang  Gath  and  Kunjum  of Chandra basin are monitored for mass, energy and hydrological  balance  by  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences  (MoES). MoES has not carried out any water audit of the rivers of the Himalayan Foothills and Gangetic plains during the last three years.
- (b) National Centre of Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), an autonomous  Institute  of  MoES  has  been  monitoring  Chandra basin, one of the tributary basin of Indus since 2013 for mass balance and Hydrological balance.  NCAOR has established a high  altitude  research  station  in  Himalaya  called  HIMANSH situated  above  4000  m  at  a  remote  region  in  Lahaul-Spiti, Himachal Pradesh to study and quantify the Himalayan glacier responses towards climate change. Several other Government agencies such as Geological Survey of India (GSI), Snow and Avalanche  Study  Establishment  (SASE),  Space  Application Centre  (SAC),  Wadia  Institute  of  Himalayan  Geology  (WIHG), National  Institute  of  Hydrology  (NIH),  are  also  engaged  in regular  monitoring  of  glacier  dynamics,  snow  and  glacier melting,  geometrical  changes  and  climate  studies  on  the Himalayan glaciers. A number of glaciers have been taken up for  long  term measurements on glacier-climate interaction in the  different  parts  of  Indian  Himalayan  Region  by  some  of these agencies.
- (c) Yes, Madam.
- (d) Studies have revealed that the Himalayan glaciers are retreating  in  general  but  not  at  a  rapid  pace.  The  rate  of melting/recession varies from glacier to glacier depending on topography  and  climatic  variability  of  the  region.  While,  the glaciers in the eastern and central part of Indian Himalaya are continuously  retreating,  some  of  the  glaciers  in  the  Western part  of  Himalaya  are  reported  to  be  advancing.  There  is  no abnormal trend of melting documented  in recent years. Studies  indicate  some  of  the  likely  impacts  of  melting  of glaciers on the hydrological system in form of changes in the river  hydrology,  increased  debris  production  and  siltation  of rivers in down-stream regions.

(e) Ministry  of  Science  &  Technology  has  launched  National Mission  for  Sustaining  the  Himalayan  Ecosystem  (NMSHE) under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) aimed at evolving conservation measures for sustaining and safeguarding the Himalayan glaciers and mountain ecosystems  through  establishment  of  monitoring  network, promotion of community based management, human resource development,  and  strengthening  regional  cooperation.  Major initiatives  taken  under  NMSHE  include  creation  of  Thematic Task Forces on Himalayan Agriculture, Traditional Knowledge systems,  Forest  Resources  and  Plant  Diversity,  Natural  and Geological  Wealth,  Water,  Ice,  Snow  including  Glaciers  and Fauna  and  Wildlife  Habitats.  It  also  includes  networking  of related institutions for focused research in different themes of Himalayan ecosystem. Programs have been initiated for training  in  the  field  of  glaciology,  awareness  programs  for community  based  organizations  and  officials  related  to  the Indian Himalayan Region. State Climate Change Centres have been  set  up  in  the  seven  Himalayan  states,  namely,  Jammu and  Kashmir,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Manipur,  Mizoram,  Tripura, Sikkim and Meghalaya.

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