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'Chenab Valley, Zanskar vulnerable to glacier outbursts'

At a time when Glaciers in the Himalayan region are melting rapidly due to global warming, experts have warned that Chenab valley and Zanskar regions are vulnerable to glacier lake outburst floods. The expert warning comes in the wake of a glacier outburst in Uttarakhand on Sunday that claimed several lives and caused massive damage in the region. While speaking, Dean Research, Kashmir University, Prof. Shakil A. Romshoo said Zanskar region in Ladakh has the highest number of glacier lakes, which are water bodies formed by melting of glaciers. However, the potential threat of glacier lake outburst flood is more in the Chenab valley, which has the second highest glacier lakes in the region, said Prof. Romshoo, who has previously headed the Earth Sciences Department at the KU.

�With a large number of dams and hydropower infrastructure in the Chenab valley, it is at a higher risk of glacier lake outbursts. Besides, the vast population in this region alongside the river bank makes it all the more vulnerable,� Romshoo said.

As per Romshoo of the 12,000 glaciers in J&K and Ladakh, there are 300 to 400 glacier lakes, many of which need constant monitoring and a need for early warning systems to be put in place by the Government.

�Of the 2,000 glacier lakes in the entire Indian Himalayas, only 200 are vulnerable to burst. In the valley, we have glacier lakes such as Panjtarni etc which are not vulnerable to glacier lake outburst floods. Even Hoksar glacier near Kolahoi glacier has a glacier lake in front of its snout but with very less chances of an outburst,� Romshoo said. He said although the Government of India had asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to have systems installed to monitor glaciers in 2013, not much has been achieved.

�After the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, I was part of a committee which submitted its recommendations that also included constant monitoring of glacier lakes. The Government of India had asked J&K government to monitor its glacier lakes and create an early warning system but one needs to see how much of it has been achieved,� Romshoo said.