House panel proposes overarching apex body for glacier management

“The Committee are of the considered view that given the strategic role and importance of glaciers as a vital national resource, there is a critical and imperative need as never before, to formulate new strategies for combating the challenges posed by the climate change and global warming in the glacier management…,” the report said.

“In this regard, the role of planners, scientists and academicians assumes critical importance in devising, developing and implementing suitable measures for studying, monitoring and providing early warning response to reduce the potential glacier related risks. Fragmented research and studies… will not yield desired results… and also may not necessarily convert into actionable steps,” said the report of the committee headed by BJP member Parbatbhai Savabhai Patel.

“The Committee, therefore, recommend that there is a need to set up a single nodal agency for bringing out synergies among various government departments/ministries involved in glaciological research and monitoring… Such an agency should be entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the activities of all the departments/agencies involved in Himalayan glaciers’ monitoring and research work. Besides, this agency should be given a well-defined and delineated mandate by suitably amending the Allocation of Business Rules,” it stated.

“The Committee urge upon the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation to play a lead role in this regard so as to take the matter to its logical conclusion for setting up of the institution and apprise the Committee about the steps taken by it within three months of presentation of this report,” it said.