‘Glaciers in Arunachal receding at the rate of 25-30 mtr every year’
ITANAGAR, 8 Nov: A joint team of scientists from National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research under the ministry of earth sciences and the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies, GoAP, will carry out a study on glaciers in Arunachal Himalayas.
Science and technology minister Honchun Ngandam, who flagged off the 10-day glacier expedition team here on Wednesday, said that the experts will study the causes, impacts of glacier melting and other related issues.
This is the first time a study on issues related to glaciers in Arunachal Himalayas will be carried out, the minister said.
According to an IPCC report, glaciers in various areas, including Arunachal Pradesh, are receding at the rate of 25 to 30 meter every year due to global warming, he said.
The possibilities of setting up of a glacier monitoring laboratory will also be explored by the team.
There are mainly four glacier basins-Manas, Kameng, Subansiri and Dibang in Arunachal Himalayas with 161 glaciers, covering an area of 223 sqkms.
The team has identified the Khangri glacier and Daisaphu glacier to carry out the preliminary study.
The Khangri glacier is situated on the Kameng basin, while the Daisaphu glacier is located on the Subansiri basin at an altitude of around 5000 to 5500 meters.
The six-member team is being led by Dr. Parmanand Sharma, a scientist at National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research.
Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies director Tana Tage and scientific advisor Dr. Bhoop Singh were present on the occasion.
