Shimla: A glaciology centre, the first of
its kind in the country, will be set up in one of the
Himalayan states to study melting of glaciers, amid findings
that about 21 percent of the snow cap had receded in the
ranges in the last four decades.
The proposed centre would come up in any of the
Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
Uttrakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, said Akhilesh Gupta,
Advisor, Union Science and Technology Department.
Glaciology is the scientific study of the internal
mechanism of glaciers and their effects on eco-systems.
Studies had come out with shocking findings that
Himalayan glaciers had melted by about 21 percent during the
period from 1966 to 2004 under the impact of global warming,
Gupta, also coordinator of National Mission on Sustaining
Himalayan Eco-systems, said.
Himalayan glaciers are the main source of water for
major rivers in north India.
On developed countries asking India to cut down its
carbon emission, Gupta said the country's carbon emission rate
was already low.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 22:57