Lok Sabha Question No. 22 (STARRED), answered on 2017-07-18
Subject: Shrinking of Lakes/Glaciers
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: JAGDAMBIKA PAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 22 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2017

## Shrinking of Lakes/Glaciers

## *22. SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  lakes,  waterfalls  and  glaciers  particularly  in  the  Himalayan  region  are shrinking/receding/melting rapidly due to climate change and global warming;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the destruction/tragedy caused in Kedarnath also occurred/happened due to the melting of glaciers; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the precautionary measures taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## Statement referred to in reply to Part (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 22 by SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL regarding 'Shrinking of Lakes/Glaciers

(a) and (b) As per information received from Department of Science and Technology, the processes  of  glacial  recession  are  rather  irregular  in  rate  and  in  amount  and  time  of occurrence. However, evidence for global warming being the causative factor for retreat of glaciers  is  inconclusive.  According  to  information  supplied  by  Department  of  Space, monitoring  of  glacier  moraine-dammed  lakes  and  glaciers  has  been  carried  out  at  Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad. The data of monitoring of glacial moraine-dammed lakes shows that surface area of these lakes has increased during period of monitoring. The data of monitoring of glaciers in Himalaya shows that pace of glacier retreat has slowed down after the year 2000. However, monitoring of waterfalls or lakes other than moraine-dammed type has not been carried out.

The glacial lakes and water bodies greater than 50 hectares in size in Himalayan region were monitored on monthly basis by National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad during June to October of 2011 to 2016 years. This 6-year period is not sufficient to study the influence of climate change effects in shrinking of lakes in Himalayan region.

Changes  in  glaciers  during  1962  -  2001  time  frame  are  based  on  monitoring  long  term changes (~ 40  years) in  2630 glaciers. Glacier extents in 1962 were taken from  Survey of India (SOI) topographical maps on 1:50,000 scales as reference and that of 2001 timeframe were  taken  from  satellite  data.  This  study  showed  a  total  loss  of  13.4  %  in  area  of  2630 glaciers of the Indian Himalaya.

During 2000/01/02 and 2010/2011-time frame, changes in 2018 glaciers were observed using Indian Remote Sensing Satellite data. The study has shown that 87% glaciers are stable (no change), 12% glaciers retreated and 1% glaciers have advanced. This gives a net loss of 20.94 sq. km in the total area of 10,250.68 sq. km for all the monitored glaciers mapped in the year 2000/01. Net change in glaciated area varies from one region to another.

The common glaciers in the above two studies are 1460.

(c) The  combined  effect  of  very  heavy  rainfall,  heavy  snowmelt  and  breaching  of  the Chaurabari lake in the upstream which could have resulted in a gushing outflow with large amount of debris caused destruction. The very heavy rainfall in the entire catchment further increased the magnitude of floods downstream.

(d) Government is implementing the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) with a view to enhance the ecological sustainability of India's development path and address climate change in all regions of the country. NAPCC comprises, inter alia, of eight National Missions  including  National  Mission  for  Sustaining  the  Himalayan  Eco-system  (NMSHE) which aims to strengthen the system for observing and monitoring the Himalayan glaciers. Major  initiatives  taken  under  NMSHE  include  creation  of  four  Thematic  Task  Forces  on Himalayan Agriculture, Traditional Knowledge  systems, Forest Resources and Plant Diversity, and Fauna and Wildlife Habitats. It also includes networking of related institutions for  focused  research  in  different  themes  of  Himalayan  ecosystem.  Programmes  have  been initiated for training in the field of glaciology, awareness programmes for community based organizations  and  officials  related  to  the  Indian  Himalayan  Region.  Also,  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.

Further, under the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) scheme, assistance is provided for conserving lakes and wetlands, on cost sharing basis between the central and the state governments. The various activities covered under the scheme include interception, diversion and treatment of waste water, shoreline protection, lakefront development,  de-silting, bioremediation, catchment  area  treatment, lake beautification, survey  and  demarcation,  bio-fencing,  fisheries  development,  weed  control,  biodiversity conservation, education and awareness, community participation, etc.

During  the  last  three  years  from  2014-15  to  2016-17,  an  amount  of  Rs  20.24  crore  under National  Wetland  Conservation  Plan/NPCA  and  Rs  115.88  crore  under  National  Lake Conservation  Plan  has  been  released  to  concerned  state  governments  for  conservation  of wetlands and lakes respectively. During current financial year, an amount of Rs 60 crore has been allocated for NPCA schemes.

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