It is a clear October day, close to the snow-capped regions of the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone. But, there is not even a trace of snow on these peaks. They stand bare with exposed gray rock.
Till a few years ago, all these peaks appeared white throughout the year to the residents of Sukhi and nearby villages (height of 2300 m), now snow covers these peaks hardly for a month or two.
The villagers of Sukhi are trying to recover from the unprecedented changes that have occurred in the glaciers of the Bhagirathi basin in the last decade.
Sukhi, a picturesque village, about 30 km below Gangotri, surrounded by several glaciers and glaciated areas including Gaumukh, Bandarpoonch, Srikant Shikhar (a snow-clad mountain), Satopanth, Draupadi Ka Danda, Kala Shikhar – another important snow-clad mountain has been at the forefront of the climate crisis.
Villagers are worried about the loss of their common resources – the Himalayan glaciers that feed the Bhagirathi and the changing, aggressive character of the monsoon over the mountains.
Gobind Singh’s family has been a witness to all this. “I explored some glaciers in 1973 and 1974 with a team of climbers. At that time the glaciers were very large and stable. They looked like blue rock. There were also some deep crevasses and one could not imagine how deep they would be. Gaumukh used to be very close, according to my assessment it has now retreated a few kilometers since the 1970s. The glaciers are in very poor condition And some may be missing,” said Gobind Singh (71), a farmer, pointing towards a bare rock mountain. “There used to be snow here all year round.”
His son, Sanjeev Rana (40), also a farmer, links this loss of glaciers to two possible reasons. “The higher Himalayas have always had what we call showers – light rain showers. These unusually heavy spells of rain have started recently. This coincides with the fact that there has been very little snowfall in recent years. This is not a rainy area. It is considered dry. We are surprised by the magnitude of monsoon rains in the last 5-6 years,” said Rana, who is concerned about the impact of the monsoon not only on the glaciers but also on his apples. Are extremely concerned about. Farming has suffered a huge blow as the ideal temperatures for a good harvest are no longer being recorded.
“We have spent our entire lives here. I have explored the Bandarpoonch glacier (4 days’ journey from Sukhi) many times and within my lifetime, it has changed from its icy blue color to largely brown and black as the moraine is now exposed. The glacier has retreated a lot,” said Rana.
Rana’s family is dependent on farming. They have some apple orchards, and grow millets, pulses and potatoes. “We grow the delicious Royal variety of apples. They have a lifespan of 70-80 years, but now they are living only 25 to 30 years. The quality of the crop is deteriorating every year. It is important that the fruit gets a temperature of -15 to 20 degrees Celsius for best quality and taste. With such a temperature range, the shelf life is also reduced dramatically. If it gets any hotter, we will not be able to grow apples,” Rana said.
On August 5, a hanging glacier feeding the Kheerganga channel collapsed, causing flash floods in Dharali, less than 10 km from Sukhi. An entire village and many people were washed away in the sudden flood. The bodies could not be recovered and hence there is no count of how many people may have died.
Rana’s family knows that such glacial collapse incidents are likely to happen around Sukhi as well.
Gobind Singh said, “Look at that mountain. If the moraine debris falls into the Bhagirathi, the flood will break hydroelectric projects downstream and devastate villages in its path. This is to be expected. But we are not thinking of running away from here.” His wife Ram Devi, who heads the farm work along with other women in the family, said, “We are on guard here. If anything untoward happens we can warn the villagers downstream. We are also like guards against border infiltration. But to survive we need schools, hospitals here. Villagers are migrating for children’s education or health care.”
Gobind Singh believes that due to the rapidly increasing heat the condition of the glaciers in the Bhagirathi region has become dangerous. Others like Rajesh, a rescue volunteer in Gangnani, believe the recession of glaciers, increasing disasters and extremes of monsoon are linked to the rising numbers in eco-sensitive areas. “The high Himalaya was isolated for centuries. These are young mountain ranges and extremely vulnerable. In recent years we have a lot of people going to these places that were otherwise inaccessible. I believe that certainly plays a role in that.”
Rajesh, who was part of the Dharali rescue, fears that many people may be buried under the debris of Dharali. Here is a man who has lost 5 members of his family, Rajesh told a man in Gangnani market, “I have met many people who have lost their loved ones. We need quick action to stop the recession of the glaciers.”
“One important thing that we should pay attention to is that the debris cover on the Himalayan glaciers has increased significantly. This is because the ice has become thinner and the carrying capacity of those glaciers has reduced. Their color has started to look much darker. There are a lot of papers on the amount of increased debris cover in the Himalayan glaciers. This is also due to the overall degradation of the environment in the region. We know that the ice The albedo effect is high but there has been a significant reduction in albedo possibly due to excessive tourist activity. Albedo also reduces due to accumulation of black carbon in glaciers, which leads to more absorption of heat. I also believe that the ice is melting faster due to the low albedo. Reducing albedo is an irreversible process and hence darkening of high mountains is occurring. We estimate that between The contribution of glaciers to river flow will reduce significantly after the century. This is also because rainfall has reduced the size of snow greatly,” said Anil Kulkarni, distinguished visiting scientist at the Divecha Center for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science.
There is broad global support for climate action, according to a paper published in the journal Nature last year by the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research, Goethe University, Bonn University and others. In a representative survey for the study across 125 countries, of approximately 130,000 individuals interviewed, 69% expressed willingness to contribute 1% of their personal income, 86% supported pro-climate social norms and 89% demanded intense political action. Countries facing extreme vulnerability to climate change show a particularly high willingness to contribute. 80% of people surveyed in India called for political action on climate change.
Consult us on infrastructure
Gobind Singh’s brother Mohan Singh, who is retired from the army and now focuses on environmental issues in the region, said the solution to prevent disasters in semi-glacial areas is to consult with local people.
A sore point for the locals here is a bypass planned under the Char Dham project, an all-weather road that connects to the India-China border, which is considered a strategic route by the Center from a defense point of view. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had said in Parliament last year that the last 150 km stretch of the Char Dham road, which will pass through the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone, will have to follow a minimum width of 10 metres.
The bypass alignment runs through old landslide debris that stretches from Sukhi Top to the Bhagirathi river, something experts have identified in the past. Then there is a 10 km area with old pine trees which is also to be widened under the project.
“Thousands of cedar trees have been marked here for cutting. If that happens, the hilly part will definitely give way. Look at the way the cedar roots are holding the soil. Clearing these trees will make this strategic route very unsafe. That’s why we have been seeking consultation for so long,” said Mohan Singh.
“Similarly, if you build a road in a landslide-prone mountain, there are serious risks to be faced. This is not a regular area. Outsiders cannot understand the geology here as it requires constant observation. Since 1991, Mohansingh and I have been cautioning the government on building road infrastructure. Roads are very important but they have to align with the local geology. All this is a result of moraine debris from 1803. Is. The debris of the moraine is not stable,” said Gobind Singh.
glaciers will give way
According to an assessment by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 195 out of 7500 glacial lakes in the Himalayas are under threat. The Central Government has approved the National Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Risk Mitigation Project (NGRMP) for implementation in four states – Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand at a financial outlay of Rs. 150.00 crores.
The high-powered committee on Char Dham project headed by Ravi Chopra had warned against construction of dams and other large infrastructure above the main central thrust or paraglacial zone in the BESZ.
According to the BESZ master plan, there are 238 glaciers in the Bhagirathi basin, many of which are likely to recede.
The objective of preparing the Zonal Master Plan is to regulate the developmental activities in the area in such a way as to ensure: 1. Environmental and ecological conservation of the entire endangered area falling within the catchment area of the Bhagirathi River from Gaumukh to Uttarkashi city and to ensure overall development of the area so as to ensure livelihood security of the people living in the area including protection of their traditional rights and privileges.
As per the Master Plan, widening of existing roads/construction of new roads in BESZ can be done only after detailed environmental impact assessment and appropriate mitigation measures.
HT reported in May that a new study published in the journal Science had found that glaciers are more sensitive to global warming than previously thought.
If the world warms by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which is the expected warming trajectory based on current climate policies, only 24% of the current glacier mass is likely to remain. In contrast, limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could preserve 54% of glacier mass, the study found.
The paper estimates that over the Hindu Kush Himalaya, only 40% of 2020 glacier mass is expected to remain at 1.5 °C warming and 25% at 2 °C warming. But, since HKH is a very large area, there are regional differences that need to be considered.
Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) and Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) are assessing the risks of 13 glacial lakes in Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Tehri, Uttarkashi and Bageshwar districts. The Jal Shakti Ministry had informed the Lok Sabha in March that WIHG specifically monitors Vasundhara Tal in Dhauliganga Basin, Chamoli, which is being expanded.
Between 1960 and 1999 Bandarpunch retreated at a rate of 25.5 meters per year. Gangotri has retreated at a rate of 18.8 meters per year as of 1996, but recent studies indicate that the rate of recession at Gangotri has slowed, primarily due to accumulation of debris that slows melting. Currently, WIHG monitors ten glaciers: four in the Central Himalaya, six in the Western Himalaya and the Karakoram. Monitored glaciers in Uttarakhand include Dokriani Glacier in the Bhagirathi Basin which has been retreating at the rate of 15–20 meters per year since 1995; The Chorabari Glacier in the Alaknanda Basin has retreated about 9–11 meters per year between 2003 and 2016.
(The reporter is a recipient of the Promise of the Commons media fellowship on the importance of the Commons and its community leadership)
