Uttarakhand Glacier Burst Updates
and Global Warming in the Himalayas
Rescue operation in Tapovan tunnel
Dhauliganga and Alaknanda River are flooding after the glacier burst of Nanda Devi Glacier near Joshimath on Sunday 7th February 2021. More than 203 people are feared missing in this natural disaster. SDRF, NDRF, ITBP continued their work at night also. They cleared debris at the opening of the Tapovan-Reni project tunnel and managed to rescue 12 laborers so far. Total 178 labors were working on RishiGanga Project when the Galcier burst happened. 14 dead bodies have been recovered so far. Mi-17 and ALH helicopters are carrying out the aerial rescue operations. A disaster relief team is looking for missing laborers under the debris of the tunnels. The army is tirelessly working to search for any survived laborers. Prayers are flowing from across the nation. State Government as well as Central Government already announced financial aid to the families of dead people in this natural calamity. Cricketer Rishabh Pant gave his one match fees as a donation. Everyone is hoping the rescue teams should successfully rescue many people and the number of dead people should be as low as possible.
A team of scientists belonging to the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) has reached there for surveillance and reconnaissance. Even though the priority is to save human lives, it is also important to understand whether a situation is under control or more avalanche can follow after this glacier burst. Because normally when such a type of event happens in the Himalayas, it continues for few days. It is important to find out the reasons behind this calamity. Whether it was due to earthquakes or melting of snow by global warming or some build-up pressure by ice glaciers, we need to know to avoid any further damage. Climate Change and Global warming is a very serious issue. The rise in temperature is already eating the Himalayas rapidly than ever. The world is trying its best to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 deg centigrade, but it is estimated that greenhouse gases can raise average global temperature by 3 to 5 deg, Celcius by the end of the Century.
In a study published in 2019, it was declared that from the year 1975 to 2000, glaciers across the Himalayas lost 10 inches of ice every year. Since 2000 the rate of loss has doubled. The Himalayan Glaciers are losing around eight billion tonnes of water every year. If this continues it can become a big risk for the ecosystem downstream. Melting glaciers leaves behind rock debris that creates dams, If these dams burst it creates floods like the one which we saw yesterday. These floods have the capacity to destroy the villages and also change the boundaries of the rivers. 2013 floods in Kedarnath and 2021 Glacier burst off in Joshimath, both remind us how Devbhumi Uttarakhand is under constant threat of floods. It is unfortunate that the Global Warming and Climate Change issue is not taken seriously by many nations and they make a mockery of the same calling it a 'Myth' on global platforms. People who live in the mountain areas of the Himalayas and people who live near the banks of Rivers face the wrath of melting glaciers and they are the most who suffer due to ignorance of nations who add emits more greenhouse gases that adds to the global warming. For the sake of humanity, world should take 'Climate Change and Global Warming' seriously and make concious and combined efforts to stop it. There is only one earth and it is our responsibility to protect it.
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