(a) whether the Government is assessing and understanding the Glacier mass balance and their contributions to the Indus river which is more critical than other basins towards the understanding of the impact of glacier retreat on the water cycle in northern India; and
(b) if so, the details and outcome thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)
(a) and (b) As per study conducted by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology on the mass balance and other aspects in the Pensilungpa Glaciers in Suru basin, Indus river catchment, the glaciers in the basin are retreating. For long term measurement of mass balance and other parameters, the Space Applications Centre (SAC) of Indian Space Research Organisation has carried out two projects viz., “Snow and Glacier Studies” and “Monitoring Snow and Glaciers of Himalayan Region (Phase-II)”. One of the components of these projects relates to estimation of glacier mass balance using multi-date satellite data. Under these two projects glacier mass balance was estimated based on analysis of multi-date satellite data using Accumulation Area Ratio (AAR) approach. Glacier specific mass balance has been estimated for glaciers in 9 sub-basins viz., Nubra, Zanskar, Warwan, Bhut, Chandra, Bhaga, Miyar, Parbati, Baspa of the Indus basin. Observations indicate overall positive mass balance at sub-basin level for Indus basin. Results of the study are given in the table below:
Table: Indicative Specific Mass Balance (SMB) in cm for selected glaciers studied in 9 sub-basins of Indus basin during 2008 to 2013
Units in Centimeter
Sub-basin 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Nubra 1.57 87.33 66.76 68.88 42.98 23.32
Zanskar # # 54.59 32.61 13.57 13.05
Warwan -32.3 66.51 14.21 25.61 58.93 28.55
Bhut -2.43 37.12 16.22 10.84 14.9 41.77
Chandra 7.14 45.23 81.8 107.67 45.38 26.87
Bhaga 49.61 84.01 19.84 81.22 50.86 74.87
Miyar -31.88 -17.25 51.44 30.03 20.01 -29.37
Parbati 0.56 50.89 52.84 57.43 9.02 56.35
Basapa -51.26 -11.3 48.12 5.49 -36.54 #
# Could not be studied due to cloud cover
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