Amid snowy conditions coupled with occasional pre-monsoon showers, the G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development (GBPIHED), Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, has deployed a team of experts in upper Himalayan region of Dhauli glacier valley in Pithoragarh to study the nature and impact of the glaciers which are prone to disaster like flash flood during the monsoon season as experienced in the same region during the monsoon season previous year too.
Keeping in view sensitiveness of these glaciers, the GBPIHED also launched a similar glacier study mission in the Dhauli glacier valley last year also but it had to withdraw its glacier study mission from the same Dhauli valley then due to devastating rainfall in which people of that upper Himalayan region including the team of scientists that had gone to study the glaciers' behavior remained stranded for many days.
This time as per schedule a team of scientists have been deployed in Dhauli valley in Pithoragarh to study the nature of glaciers, said Engineer Kireet Kumar, senior scientist of the GBPIHED, while talking to The Pioneer in an exclusive interview.
If everything goes as per schedule and weather permits us, our glacier study mission in Dhauli valley in upper Himalayan region of Piothoragarh will continue till September, 2014, he added.
What changes have taken place in the normal behavior of the glaciers after the last year's devastating flash flood in the upper Himalayan zones that wreaked havoc in many parts of the border district Pithoragarh last year is also part of the glacier study mission of the GBPIHED.
But apart from unpredictable nature of weather, snowy conditions are major concerns for the experts to carry out the glacier study mission ahead.
Besides, the main focus of this project is also on studying the pattern of these glaciers in terms of advance and retreat using satellite data and field studies and its impact on river flow. Other objectives of this study are measurement of mass balance and velocity of glaciers.
Mapping of glaciers has been completed. But we could not complete our study regarding monitoring of river flow and collection of water sample due to devastating monsoon last June in Pithoragarh. The field work for data collection and monitoring started around mid June last year, but due to extreme rainfall and cloud bursts, we had to withdraw from that mission last monsoon, informed the scientists of the GBPIHED.
It is worth mentioning here that glaciers play a significant role in maintaining ecological system. But any adverse impact on the health of glaciers due to excessive human interventions leads to occurrence of disaster like situation.
The Himalayan glaciers contribute fresh water to the major river systems of the north India during critical summer months and make these rivers perennial.
But, as the experts maintain, glaciers are highly sensitive to change in the climate. Change in the mountain glaciers in the form of advance and retreat is considered a reliable indicator of climate change. The glacier valleys are highly fragile and prone to disasters like flash flood.