Diplomat Correspondent
Leh :(DD) Prominent environmentalist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising serious concerns over the rapid melting of glaciers in Ladakh and its potential catastrophic impact on major rivers like the Ganga and Brahmaputra.
In his letter, Wangchuk warned that accelerated glacial retreat in the Himalayas is not only threatening Ladakh’s water security but could also disrupt the flow of India’s major rivers, which depend on these glaciers for their water supply. The Ganga and Brahmaputra, which sustain millions of people across India and Bangladesh, originate from Himalayan glaciers, making their protection critical for the region’s ecological balance.
He attributed this crisis to rising temperatures, unregulated development, and high carbon emissions. Wangchuk urged the government to take immediate action, including:
Restricting unsustainable tourism and large-scale industrial activities in ecologically fragile zones
Promoting renewable energy to reduce carbon footprints in the Himalayas
Implementing strict environmental policies to curb deforestation and land degradation
Providing constitutional safeguards to Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, ensuring local communities can play a key role in conservation efforts
Wangchuk, who has been at the forefront of climate activism in Ladakh, recently staged a hunger strike to draw national attention to these environmental concerns. His letter has further amplified calls from environmentalists and scientists urging the government to prioritize climate action to protect India’s water resources and prevent a looming ecological disaster(DD)