Question : SETTING UP OF GLACEOLOGY CENTRE IN UTTARANCHAL

(a) whether the Government plan to set up Himalayan Glaceology Centre in Uttaranchal;

(b) if so, the details thereof indicating salient features of the proposed centre; and

(c) the number of such Glaceology centres at present in our country?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY( SHRI BACHI SINGH RAWAT )

(a) to (c) A statement is attached.

STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 216 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.07.2002 REGARDING SETTING UP OF GLACIOLOGY CENTRE IN UTTARANCHAL

(a) & (b) Yes, the Government have a plan to set up a National Centre for Field Operations and Reaseach in Himalayan Glaciology(NCFOR-HG) during the 10th Plan. A detailed proposal to set up the proposed centre has already been formulated. As per recommendations of the Sub-Committee on Himalayan Glaciers, constituted by the Planning Commission, it has been recommended that
i) The Centre may initially be co-located either with the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun (Uttarancal) or the Headquarters of Snow & Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), Chandigarh.
ii) The NCFOR-HG be set up as an autonomous research institution.
iii) The budgetary requirement of Rs. 36 crores may preferably be shared among the major stake holders i.e. the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Ministry of Mines and DRDO so that the centre is established and run in consortium mode.
iv) The final decision on the mode of setting up of NCFOR-HG may be taken by the Planning Commission. NCFOR-HG, once operational, is expected to become the hub of all glaciological activities, research and applications, and put the science of glaciology in India on a firmer footing. The proposed areas of immediate attention are: · Establishment of glaciological field observation stations for high quality standardised data collection on a representative number of glaciers · Mass balance · Glacier hydrology · Sediment transfer · Glacier dynamics · Environment and climate · Glacial hazards · Integrated modelling of glacial processes · Data bank and information system · Manpower development in association with a leading University of North India

( c) At present there is no such Glaciology Centre in our country.

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLLOGY (ESS Division) SUBJECT : ` LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION REGARDING SETTING UP OF GLACIOLOGY CENTRE IN UTTRANCHAL TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.07.2002.`

Placed below is a Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 216 for 16/7/2002, raised by Shri E.M.Sudarsana Natchiappan. A Draft Reply has been prepared and placed below. A copy of the Minutes/Report of the Sub-Committee on Himalayan Glaciers, set up by the Planning Commission, is also placed below for kind information please. For kind approval please.



( RAMBIR SINGH ) PSO/ Sct `D` 12/7/2002
Sct. `G`(KRG)