(a) whether natural resources of water such as lakes, waterfalls and glaciers are shrinking/melting very fast in various cities including the Himalayan region due to climate change and global warming;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether devastation witnessed in Kedarnath was due to melting of glaciers and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the action plan formulated by the Government for conservation of natural resources such as lakes and ponds?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(DR. MAHESH SHARMA)
(a) and (b): As per studies conducted by the Geological Survey of India, the glaciers in Himalayan region are receding at varying rates in different areas. As per these findings, recession of glaciers could result from natural cyclic processes and other factors including, inter alia, global warming.
(c): The devastation in the Kedarnath area is not mainly due to the glacier melt. The combined effect of very heavy rainfall, heavy snowmelt and breaching of the Chaurabari lake in the upstream could have resulted in a gushing outflow with large amounts of debris which devastated the entire valley. The very heavy rainfall in the entire catchment further increased the magnitude of floods downstream.
(d): For conservation and management of identified wetlands and lakes in the country, the Ministry is implementing a scheme namely, National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA) on cost sharing basis between Central Government and respective State Governments.
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