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The 'Om' shape made of snow on Mount Om, famous for its special structure, has disappeared. According to experts, its disappearance points to 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. This mountain is also an important stop on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. After the construction of a road to Lipulekh adjacent to the Chinese border, the number of tourists here has also increased.
The effects of climate change are visible
According to JC Kunyal of the Center for Environmental Assessment and Climate Change, GB Pant Institute, Almora, seasonal changes are being observed all over the world. The effect of climate change is also being seen on Mount Om. Global temperatures are rising and the glaciers are being affected the most. He said that the incidence and prevalence of forest fires is increasing. Black carbon emitted from forest fires affects glaciers. For the good health of the glacier, there should be good grass in the plants growing below. The health of forests in the alpine region should be good. All these keep the temperature balanced. All these need to be looked at together.
The UN had already warned
According to a 2022 UN report, one-third of the glaciers in the Himalaya region are at risk from global warming. The rate of glacier melting has increased due to rising temperatures since 2000. Glaciers lose 58 billion tonnes of ice every year. This is equivalent to the total water consumption of France and Spain. According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development ICIMOD, the rate of temperature rise in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region is much higher than the global rate. The winter of 2023-24 saw record low snowfall across the region. The western Himalayas, in particular, received little or no snowfall.
According to the IMD report for the year 2023, last year, after the monsoon, Uttarakhand witnessed a change of more than two degrees in temperature in October, November and December. Apart from this, there was also very little rainfall after winter. This year, there was severe heat in the plains and hilly areas of Uttarakhand. The temperature in Dehradun has reached 44 degrees. According to glaciologist Dr. Anil Deshmukh, the temperature in the Himalayas is rising faster than in other parts of the country. This is called the 'elevation effect'. As the altitude increases, the temperature also rises. Therefore, seasonal snow is now melting rapidly in summer as well as winter and spring. The disappearance of snow on Om Parvat is proof of this. It is a symbol of the change taking place in the mountain region. Assessment of the last 30 to 40 years shows that the amount of snowfall is decreasing and the amount of rain is increasing. Glaciers are melting due to less snow and rising temperatures.
