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Global Warming: Minor Glaciers in Kashmir Disappeared

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, Oct 1: Owing to global warming, most of the small glaciers in Indian administered Kashmir have totally melted down while the big glaciers in most of the areas have decreased in size.

According to a report released by international humanitarian group, Actionaid International, many of the areas in Kashmir have seen a complete disappearance of small glaciers.

The head of ActionAid's Kashmir chapter, Arjimand Talib, said, "The global warming has affected the Kashmir glaciers too and due to the increase in the temperature, the small glaciers in many parts of Kashmir have disappeared while the bigger ones have been reduced in size".

He said that the testimonies of people living in various parts of Kashmir substantiate to the fact that the glaciers in Kashmir are either disappearing or decreasing in size.

The head of Kashimr chapter of Actionaid International said that even the small glaciers in Srinagar and upper reaches have disappeared. "In other areas like central Kashmir, the height (averaging 15-20ft) of the small glaciers has reduced to over one-fourth of the original height", he said.

Barely 20 years ago, the snow line in Kashmir valley's east was just above areas like Pahalgam and Sonmarg (3200m). "Currently the line has receded to Shiashnag area which is at an altitude of 5000m only. Same is true of the Pirpanjal mountain range in the west where the snow line was above Kongwatan and Zaznar (3000-3500m)".

"Most of the glaciers of the Great Himalayan range from Harmuk to Drungdrung including Thajiwas, Kolahoi, Machoie, Kangrez, Shafat have receded far back (4000-5000m) during the last 50 years".

Talib said that scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation's Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad have investigated the glacial retreat in Kashmir, largely by using data from the Indian Remote Sensing satellite and field expeditions and thereby comparing them with the 1962 topographic surveys by the Survey of India. "The study has shown an overall 21 per cent reduction in the glacier surface area", he said.

According to the SAC, the process of deglaciation has also led to the fragmentation of the larger glaciers. The mean area of glacial extent has also declined from 1 sq km to 0.32 sq km during 1962-2004.13 From a study of winter run-off - which is only on account of snowmelt - the scientists found that accumulation during winter has declined between the late 1990s and the turn of the century.

Also, the snow accumulation pattern has changed significantly. Likewise, they found that the winter run-off increased by as much as 75 per cent between 1966 and 1995. If additional areas start melting in the middle of winter, less snow will be available for summertime stream run-off that feeds the rivers.

This is already happening in Kashmir. While winter runoff has clearly increased due to early meltdown of glaciers, faster meltdown has resulted in significant decrease in water availability in streams during summer.

The recent spring time floods in Kashmir have largely been as a consequence of fast melt down of snow in the mountains, coupled with the spring rains.

A Report on Climate Change and its Impact in Kashmir Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) reveals that the temperature in the Himalayan region has risen by almost 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) since the 1970's. This shift in climate has caused meltdown of snowfalls and glaciers - at the fastest rate in the world (50 feet/15 m per year in northern India) - even in winter, causing icy water to accumulate in lakes hedged by unstable dams of sediment and stone.

According to a resident, Ghulam Mohammad Lone (69) of Kapran area in Anantnag (Islamabad) district, the length of the Hangipora glacier has reduced from 35 feet to 12 feet and the Naaginad glacier has reduced from 30 feet to 10 feet. In Chaklipora area the Galgudi and Wandernad glaciers have considerably decreased in size since the last about two decades, locals say.

According to testimonies of villagers in Choolan area, located in the Shamasbari mountain range in North Kashmir, the nearby glacier, namely Katha, has reduced from about 200 feet forty years ago to about 80 feet today. Similarly, people living around Tangmarg and Gulmarg in North Kashmir say Budrukot glacier in the area has reduced from 16 feet to only 5 feet in height over the years. The Khujwan glacier in the mountains of the Kichama area has reduced from 40 feet to only 20 feet over the years. The Afarwat glacier around Nambalnar Hajibal area, which used to be 300 feet long 40 years ago has completely disappeared today, says a local, Lal Din.

The report states that that there is not a single water stream in Kashmir today which has not witnessed water depletion over the years. "Analysis of the data collected from the eight districts of Kashmir in the course of this study show that the water level in almost all the streams and rivers has decreased by about one-third, in some cases even by half, during the last 40 years. It is the water flow in the small streams and tributaries that finally determine the overall water availability in Kashmir's three main rivers, namely Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, which finally flow into Pakistan", the Action Aid report said.

Over the last few years, sudden rise in temperatures (usually 4-50 Celsius above normal) in the months of February, March, April and May has resulted in faster melting of glaciers, thereby flooding most of the streams and rivers in these months.

Talib adds, "This situation is likely to result in greater livelihood vulnerabilities for the poor farming communities. People of almost all the sub-regions and geographical locations voice the concern that rainfall today no longer has any fixed season and that unpredictability has increased".

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.