Questioning the theory that Himalayan glaciers are fast receding entirely due to global warming, a top climate official of the country says there could be other reasons as well for melting of snow in the youngest mountain systems of the world.
Dismissing suggestions that Gangotri glaciers are receding faster than in any other part of the world, Gupta, who is also Coordinator of the Climate Change Programme, Dept. of Science and Technology, said, "(Scientific) Observations (by the government agencies) in the past 5, 10 years show that the rate of receding has come down substantially."
The government has already launched a National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem to evolve management measures for sustaining and safeguarding the Himalayan glacier and mountain eco-system under the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, and other major river systems originate in the Himalayas. Any changes in the Himalayan glacier dynamics and melting are expected to severely affect about 1.3 billion of people.
