Why did the snow disappear from Om Parvat in Uttarakhand? A big reason has come to light

New Delhi: The shape of ‘Om’ made of snow on Om Parvat, which is known for its special structure, has disappeared. According to experts, its disappearance is a sign of global and local environmental crisis. This snow disappeared in the third week of August. According to scientists, this can be seen as the effect of climate change. Om Parvat is located on the border of India, China and Nepal and is about 5900 meters above sea level. This mountain is also an important stop on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. After the road was built to Lipulekh, adjacent to the China border, the number of tourists also increased here.

visible effect of climate change

According to JC Kuniyal of the Centre for Environmental Assessment and Climate Change Centre at GB Pant Institute, Almora, seasonal changes are being seen all over the world. The effect of climate change has also been seen on Om Parvat. Global temperature is rising and glaciers are being affected the most by it. he/she said that the incidence of forest fires and their scope is increasing. Black carbon released from forest fires affects glaciers. For the good health of the glacier, there should be good grass in the meadows below it. The forests in the alpine region should be healthy. Due to all this, the temperature remains balanced. There is a need to look at all these together.

UN had already warned

According to a 2022 UN report, one-third of the glaciers in the Himalayan region are at risk of global warming. The rate of melting of glaciers has increased since 2000 due to rising temperatures. 58 billion tons of ice is being lost from glaciers every year. This is equal to the total water consumption of France and Spain. At the same time, according to The International Center for Integrated Mountain Development ICIMOD, the rate of temperature increase in the Hindukush Himalayan region is much higher than the global rate. In the winter of 2023-24, there was record low snowfall in the entire region. Especially in the Western Himalayas, there was little or no snowfall.

According to the IMD report for the year 2023, the change in temperature in Uttarakhand after the monsoon in October, November and December was more than two degrees. Also, the rainfall after winter was also very less. This year, there was severe heat in the plains and mountainous regions of Uttarakhand. The temperature of Dehradun reached 44 degrees. According to glaciologist Dr. Anil Deshmukhya, the temperature in the Himalayas is increasing more rapidly than in other parts of the country. This is called the ‘elevated effect’. As the altitude increases, the temperature also increases. Therefore, seasonal snow is now melting rapidly in winter and spring along with summer. The disappearance of snow on Om Parvat is proof of this. It is a symbol of the changes taking place in the mountainous region. Assessment of the last 30 to 40 years shows that the amount of snowfall is decreasing and the scope of rain is increasing. Glaciers are melting due to less snow and rising temperatures.