Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk today issued a dire warning to the PM that the next Maha Kumbh might be conducted on sand since India’s holy rivers might become dry because of the fast-melting Himalayan glaciers.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Wednesday addressed an open letter to PM Narendra Modi, giving a warning in dark terms regarding the quick melting of the Himalayan glaciers, informing that the following Maha Kumbh, after 144 years, “may only be held on the sandy remains of the holy river”. In the open letter, Wangchuk complained that “the rivers may dry up” unless immediate measures are adopted.
Seeking PM Modi’s attention on the issue, Wangchuk stated that the glaciers that serve as the source of India’s major rivers were fast drying up. He said India must “take a lead” in glacier preservation, stating, “India needs to take a lead in glacier preservation as we have the Himalayas, and our sacred rivers such as the Ganga and Yamuna come out of them.”
Referring to himself as an “admirer” of the PM’s green drive, Wangchuk urged setting up a commission to review the condition of Himalayan glaciers. He cautioned, “As we all know, the Himalayan glaciers are melting very fast, and if this and the associated deforestation go on at this rate, in a couple of decades our sacred rivers like Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus could be seasonal rivers.”
The environmentalist based in Ladakh said that there is “very little awareness” on the ground about the crisis. He also requested a meeting with PM Modi, suggesting that a delegation of community members from Ladakh hand over a block of ice from one of the region’s rapidly melting glaciers as a “message” from people affected by climate change.
His caution comes as the ongoing MahaKumbh in Prayagraj of Uttar Pradesh is about to end. The religious congregation is taking place at the TriveniSangam, the point of confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the Saraswati.
The United Nations has declared 2025 as the ‘International Year of Glaciers’ Conservation’, highlighting the seriousness of tackling the climate emergency.(With inputs from PTI)
Read more: https://newscope.press/a-new-aggressive-india-with-an-invincible-defense/
