DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district is experiencing a rise in tourism, but this boom is taking a toll on the environment. Increased human activity has led to accelerated snowmelt, resulting in degradation of Panchachuli mountain range, with environmentalists saying the snow-capped peaks are now visibly blackened.Professor Sunil Nautiyal, Director of the GB Pant National Himalayan Environment Institute, said research indicated that the rate of glacier melt in the Himalayas increased two to three times between 1985 and 2000. “Around 440 billion tonnes of ice have melted in the region over the past 40 years, calling for urgent environmental action,” Nautiyal said.Over the past year, over 28,000 pilgrims have visited the Himalayan regions for Adi Kailash and Kailash Mansarovar yatra, according to official data.Scientists have sounded alarms regarding the environmental impact of the influx.“The increased accessibility of vehicles near the Himalayas, along with carbon emissions and escalating human activities, is contributing to rising temperatures and altering the environment,” said senior glaciologist Manish Mehta from Wadia Institute. “Since 2000, the effects of global warming have led to a depletion of snow cover in the Himalayas.”Emphasising the crucial role of snow in maintaining the Himalayan ecosystem, Mehta said, “The Himalayas are entirely dependent on snow. If the spell of snowfall is prolonged, only then can the region be covered by snow like a blanket.Without this blanket cover, glaciers are melting.” He said that data indicates that in recent years, the summer period has expanded while the winter has shrunk. Environmentalist Dev Raghvendra said, “Fragile ecosystem of the Himalayas demands our urgent attention. We must tackle climate change and the human activities that are driv ing glacier melting.”
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