Groundwater,Global warming, Glacial retreat,flooding in Himalayas

This Paper was presented in the World Water Week Conference 2009 Stockholm
Groundwater,Global warming, Glacial retreat,flooding in Himalayas                                                                 Dr Ritesh Arya, 405,GH7A,Sector 20,Panhkula 134120,Haryana, India                                             aryadrillers@gmail.com                                                                                        

          Groundwater is poorly understood subject in Himalayan mountains specially  the high altitude cold mountain deserts of Ladakh, Himalayas. Geological complexity, geographical inaccessibility, climatic extreme variability and unavailability of hydro geological data all combine to make groundwater, a mystery to understand and difficult to develop as a resource for policy makers and politicians. Present paper tries to bridge this gap by compiling the available data from the wells drilled and establishes the relationship between groundwater, glacier, floods and global warming in mountains so that groundwater could be understood and used in totality to solve the day to day water problem.

 On one hand paper laments that global warming is natural cyclic process and glacial melting will lead to increased water in the  natural mountain system which supports  increased evolution and diversification of life forms on other it advocates steps required to cope with floods induced due to glacial melt which pose  great threat to  habitants in mountain valleys.

Present paper highlights the significance of groundwater exploration for sustainable water development in the Himalayas.To explain the relationship of groundwater,glaciers,global warming in Himalayas the title I am presenting a Case study of Khardungla catchment which houses the Khardungla glacier and  Leh town finally culminating at Indus river. Based on the observation of the bore log samples collected while drilling borewells to develop groundwater resources to provide drinking water for the army and civil population in the high altitude, cold, mountain deserts of Ladakh, Indian Himalayas which are geologically complex and geographically isolated for more then 6 months due to extreme cold climatic conditions.  The author was able to find evidences of Indus Glacier deposits in the borewell samples at depth varying from 70 feet below the ground to 130 feet below the ground.This glacier might have extended from Mansrovar in Tibet to Arabian sea  >2000 metres length in geological past before ice age.                                                                                                                                                                      The presence of paleo Indus glaciated channels at these depths is the source of rich reservoir of groundwater resources for meeting the drinking water requirement for Leh town now and in near future.The Khardungla glacier located at top of the Batholithic hill is the main source of water both surface and groundwater to the Leh town. This glacier extended upto  Spituk in geological past. But today it has receded more then 18 kms) and is on the verge of extinction and is confined only to the peeks of Khardungla at 18000 feet above the mean sea level.
 Experiments carried by the author in the end of the 20^th century laid the foundation for sustainable development of  groundwater resources in the recent past. The groundwater today has become a household commodity and everyone is enjoying the fruits of the resource which was considered to be nonexistent about a decade ago.The important question here is how long are these resources going to last. The global warming has already taken its toll and the Khardungla glacier has already receded considerably. It is a matter of time and the groundwater will last till the snow cover last in the Khardungla.No Glacier means  no water in Leh catchment All the streams and the spring sources would dry up or become seasonal.This is the story of all the glacial mountain catchments the world over. All the major glaciers world over had already receded much before the advent of man or industrialisation. Today these  mountain glaciers are on the verge of extinction. The impact of man and his activities was negligible in those times but still the rates of receding of glaciers were very high.

The Indus glacier (itself owe its extinction from the Indus basin to global warming which happens to be the natural cyclic process initiated since last ice age  and has nothing  to do with man or his activity or rather to any geological activity on sustainable basis

The author after studying more then 1000 wells drilled in different hydrostratigraphic formation across the Himalayas clearly shows that global warming has resulted in melting of glaciers since time immemorial. Immediate impact of this activity is increased groundwater and their storage in the mountains.Long term impact would be their activity leading to flash flooding once the storage capacity of these hills exceeds the threshold .This activity will first lead to mountain bursting and cause flash floods which have the capacity to wash anything which comes in its way downstream within seconds. If cyclones and hurricanes are talked about and feared events in the coastal areas, Mountain flash flooding is an event to be watched  in near future in mountains.

Today economic compulsions and geological ignorance is forcing the habitations to flourish along the valley regions which were considered to be geologically fragile few decades ago but negligence of the geological data will lead them to pay a heavy prise for their activity. A simple flood will lead to heavy loss of life and property in the mountain state.

 Though the glaciers are the main source of groundwater recharge in the mountains the other side of glacial melting (FLASH FLOODING) due to global warming is very dangerous event threatening the very existence of the communities residing in the hills or mountain valleys,  if proper precautions are not made while selecting the habitations. This subject and phenomenon is poorly understood   but holds the key for our very existence in the mountains in near future.

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About Dr Arya
Dr Ritesh Arya,specialises in groundwater exploration and development in Indian Himalayas  for  providing sustainable water solutions to people living in high altitude cold mountain deserts of Ladakh, which were considered to be devoid of it. He prepared model to explain occurrence and groundwater movements  in Himalayas.  Providing 24 hours  water , on NO WATER NO MONEY  to  Tibetan’s (who fled Tibet following Chinese aggression  1959) in Leh, for Water Aid & His Holiness Dalai Lama was his important achievement .   Arya holds Guinness World record for drilling highest artesian condition in world. He used borewell data and geomorphological observations to show  “Global Warming is Natural: Enjoy it” accepted for presentation in Global Conference on Global warming Turkey,  2009.
Presently working on a film CONVENIENT TRUTH  to show global warming is part of natural cyclic process,majority of glaciers had receded in the geological past much before industrialisation or advent of man and his activities, rates of receding could have been very high in the past as compared to today??? CO2 and other green houses gases are essential for our very survival. These gases are required by plants to feed the growing population  now and in years to come, CO2 reduction is therefore a wrong step...........................................                                  Pollutions and emmisioins is man made and can be controlled by using better technologies....
Film will show this truth CONVENIENTLY.........and end with message Enjoy Global warming:Its Natural