India News | Studies Show Himalayan Glaciers Are Retreating but Not at Rapid Pace: Govt

New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) Studies have revealed that the Himalayan glaciers are retreating in general but not at a rapid pace, Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel told Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The studies showed that glaciers with an area of more than 10 square km are unlikely to get affected appreciably in the coming years. However, smaller glaciers of less than 2 square km area are likely to show rapid changes, Patel said.

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Responding to a question on the stress on Himalayan rivers, he said snow and glaciers are perennial sources of water for rivers originating from the Himalayas. Glaciers receive and accumulate snow in winter and release melt water in summer through surface flow, groundwater seepage.

"Studies have revealed that the Himalayan glaciers are retreating in general but not at a rapid pace," Patel said.

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"The rate of melting/recession varies from glaciers to glaciers depending on its topography and climatic variability of the region. Studies have shown that glaciers with an area of more than 10 square km are unlikely to get affected appreciably in the coming years. However, smaller glaciers of less than 2 square km are likely to show rapid changes," he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)