NEW DELHI: Preliminary observation of experts state that there was a hanging glacier which slipped from a height of 5,600 metres due to the gravitational pull and caused the disaster in Uttarakhand. Amit Shah, Minster of Home Affairs, Government of India, said in the Parliament that the disaster is caused due to the snow avalanche effecting an area of 14 square kilometres and the study was done post this statement.
Scientists have said that for now, it is difficult to tell whether it was caused directly due to climate change. The incident washed away two hydroelectric power stations, claimed the lives of at least 34 while 200 people are missing and are feared dead. Mohd Farooq Azam, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology – Indore (IIT-I), said that there is no scientific terminology as ‘glacier burst’ and the scientists believe that there was a hanging glacier which slipped with rock and ice from a height of 5,600 metres.
Azam said that there is no doubt that global warming is affecting the local climate in the region and the Himalayas are experiencing warmer winters, erratic and extreme rainfall more than ever before. He added that the real question is what is the source of the water which was seen in the video. Himalayan glaciers play an important role in the area as they provide drinking water and resources for agriculture, hydropower and biodiversity.