As a major concern, glaciers in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are melting at a ¡°significant¡± rate.
According to a first-of-its-kind study that used satellite data,? over 1,200 glaciers in the Himalayan region saw an annual reduction in mass of 35 centimetres (cm) on average between 2000 and 2012.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, was carried over the Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh region, including areas across the Line of Control (LoC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC), and in all 12,243 glaciers were studied for thickness and mass changes.
¡°In general, it was observed that the glaciers in the Pir Panjal range are melting at the higher rate ¡ª more than one metre per year ¡ª while as the glaciers in the Karakoram range are melting relatively at a slower rate, around 10 cms per year,¡± noted Professor Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, corresponding author of the study.
Some recent reports also suggest that the popular Thajiwas glacier in Sonmarg has receded 50 metres in the last three years.
Studies indicate that most of the glaciers in J&K are receding due to climate change at an average rate of 18 metres per annum.
Earlier, Thajiwas was spread over a huge area and walking a few metres was enough to reach there from Sonmarg. However now, tourists have to walk for kilometres to get a glimpse of it.
Many experts believe the reason for the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas is global warming.
¡°Some glaciers are even advancing or stable in the Karakoram range. In other mountain ranges like the Greater Himalayan range, Zanskar range, Shamabari range, Leh ranges, the glaciers are undoubtedly melting but the rate of melting is variable,¡± Romshoo, Dean of Research at the University of Kashmir in Srinagar, had told PTI in a September 2020 report.