Jal Shakti Ministry has mapped over 4,500 lakesWith concerns mounting over the impact of climate change on Himalayan glaciers, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has released an updated atlas of glacial lakes that are part of the Ganga river basin. About 4,707 glacial lakes have been mapped in the Ganga basin. Last December, a similar inventory of glacial lakes was prepared for the Indus river basin. The study portion of Ganga River basin covers part of India and transboundary region. The information on glacial lakes including their type, hydrological, topographical, and associated glaciers are useful in identifying the potential critical glacial lakes and consequent GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) events.

Source: The Hindu June 29, 2021 15:22 UTC