Village elders living in Kumaon tell me that they have never seen as little snow on the face of towering Himalayan peaks like Nanda Devi, Nandakot and Trishul as this year. A staggering quarter of the world's population, almost two billion people, depend directly or indirectly on the Himalayas for their survival. Due to accelerating climate change, these young, once holy, mountains are melting rapidly, significantly faster than other high mountains on earth. There are over a thousand glaciers in Uttarakhand alone. Glaciers, melting at the rate of several feet every year, are fast turning into unstable lakes which threaten the valleys and the plains below. They also mean greater volatility of water flows for the many dams that clutter the river basins at high altitudes, also increasing the peril of lethal flash floods. Furthermore, the greater mobility of glaciers, mudslides and landslides also means that the projected life of dams is significantly curtailed due to sudden spurts in siltation. The director of the Central Water Commission has himself warned recently that "the storage space in Indian reservoirs is receding at a rate faster than anticipated. Reservoirs are poised to become extinct in less than a few decades with untold consequences already underway." He foresees that "the nation will eventually be unable to find sufficient water in the 21st century to feed the rising population by 2050, grow abundant crops, create sustainable cities, or ensure growth."

Chamoli catastrophe

An Age Gone Blind

Opening the Floodgates