Ziraat Times Team Report
New Delhi: The Government of India has expanded its scientific focus on Himalayan glaciers, with Jammu & Kashmir receiving special attention through the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Glacial Studies at the University of Kashmir. The initiative comes amid growing evidence of accelerated and uneven glacier retreat across the Himalayan region.
According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), glacier monitoring is being carried out through its autonomous institute, the National Centre of Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Cryosphere and Climate programme — part of the Polar Science and Cryosphere Research (PACER) scheme. NCPOR has been observing select glaciers in both the western and eastern Himalaya to study their response to climate change and the implications for river systems and downstream communities.
Monitoring Programmes Expanded to J&K and Ladakh
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) recently launched Phase-I of the National Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) Risk Mitigation Programme (NGRMP). The programme — aimed at strengthening early-warning mechanisms and resilience — initially covers four states (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh) and two Union Territories, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. It includes the installation of several Early Warning Systems to mitigate GLOF-related risks.
Accelerated Glacier Loss Reported Across the Himalaya
Multiple Indian research institutions funded by MoES, DST, MoEFCC, MoM, and Ministry of Jal Shakti have reported significant glacial retreat in recent years. Studies indicate:
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Hindu Kush Himalayan glaciers: Retreating on average 14.9 ± 15.1 m/year
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Indus Basin: 12.7 ± 13.2 m/year
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Ganga Basin: 15.5 ± 14.4 m/year
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Brahmaputra Basin: 20.2 ± 19.7 m/year
However, the Karakoram region continues to show minimal net change, with a slight positive mass balance trend known as the Karakoram Anomaly.
Research Findings from Western Himalaya
Since 2013, NCPOR has monitored six glaciers in the Chandra Basin in the western Himalaya. A state-of-the-art research station, Himansh, established in 2016, supports intensive fieldwork and long-term observations. Findings reveal:
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Approximately 6% glacial area loss in the basin over the past 20 years
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Glacier retreat rates ranging from 13 to 33 meters per year in the last decade
Kashmir University Among Three Centres of Excellence
Over 20 national institutions, including IITs, IISERs, JNU, University of Delhi, and the University of Kashmir, are currently conducting research on Himalayan glacier dynamics.
Under the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE), the Department of Science and Technology has set up three Centres of Excellence (CoE) for advanced glacial studies at:
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University of Kashmir
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Sikkim University
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Tezpur University
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