PTI : Warning that the general health of Himalayan glaciers is worsening leading to adverse environment impact, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today asked the scientific community to make efforts for collecting “reliable field data” on glacial meltdown.

“While the actual situation is much more complex, and varies from glacier to glacier, there is no doubt that the general health of the Himalayan Glaciers is worsening. This is not only resulting in an adverse effect on the environment, climate and the water resources but also on other concerned and connected activities,” the former Environment Minister said.

In a message sent to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), he said, “Glaciers are an issue on which there is considerable academic and popular limelight, with a number of varying points of view”.

He said there was lack of unanimity on the “extent and causes” of Himalayan glacial melt. “This indicates the need for the scientific establishment to apply itself more diligently to collect reliable and relevant field data and to build credible scenarios,” Ramesh said.

The Minister observed that study of the phenomenon of glacier dynamics in the Himalayas has, in recent years, attained significant attention on account of the general belief that global warming and climate change is leading to fast degeneration of glaciers in the Himalayas. He said there are also negative consequences for livelihoods, habitats and infrastructure of the poor.

“Ranging from the rooftop of the world high up in the Himalayas to the seas of South Asia, a wide range of nations, communities and ecosystems are affected. This predicament unites the rural poor across nations and makes a powerful call for concerted action across political boundaries,” Ramesh said.

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