Rains Severely Damage The Snout Of The Gangotri Glacier, Gaumukh

Tag : Himalayas, Gangotri Glacier, Gaumukh

In a wake of yet another sign of climate change, a large chunk of Gaumukh Glacier fallen off due to heavy rains between 14^th to 16^th July. Gaumukh or Gomukh is a part of the Gangotri glacier, which is located in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand in a region bordering China. Gaumukh, at 13,200 ft, is the precise source of the Bhagirathi River, important headwaters of the Ganges.
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According to the scientists of Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), a large chunk of ice (around 3-3.5 feet) from Gaumukh was washed away into Bhagirathi River. This could be due to fluctuations of temperature.

Ice falls are nothing new, but its extent of collapse this year is alarming. “There were large chunks of ice from Gaumukh that were reportedly found downstream near the Gangotri temple,” said Sameer Tiwari, scientist, Centre for Glaciology, WIHG. “Last winter, there was not much snowfall around the glaciers. It was just around 4-5 feet. The rainfall in June and July has been heavy and temperature anomalies have led to warmer weather,” he said. Though the good news is that the retreat of Gangotri glacier will not have a drastic influence on the flow of Ganga as the river is not totally dependent on it, The Loksabha was told on Tuesday.

“According to National Institute of Hydrology, retreat of Gangotri glacier will not have a drastic influence on the flow of river Ganga. The latter is not totally dependent on glaciers for its water even in the headwaters region.” “The percentage of snow and glacier-fed contribution progressively reduces as one move downstream. Rainwater and sub-surface flows contribute more than 70 per cent of the flow of river Ganga at Haridwar,” Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said.

To avoid such incidents further, Environmental activist Mallika Bhanot suggests that the Uttarakhand government needs to regulate the eco - sensitive zones around sensitive glaciers and forests. The state now allows only 150 people to visit the site after winter.

Source – DNA

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