Srinagar:
"I announce the launch of a national mission on sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem. We will make all efforts to protect the Himalayan glaciers," said Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister.
Will this mission slow down the devastation of one of the world's most unique ecosystems pushed to breaking point by mindless deforestation, demographic pressures and uncontrolled urbanisation?
Will this mission somewhat reverse the damages of global warming on its glaciers as they melt into oblivion?
Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem- Conserve biodiversity, glaciers, forest cover
- Study impact of climate change
- Put filters in place to slow down/reverse deterioration
Take Kolahai, the biggest glacier for Kashmir.
Once spread across 11 square kilometers, it has shrunk nearly a quarter in the last three decades as temperatures continue to rise.
The melting of Kolahai Glacier is posing a major environmental challenge for Kashmir Valley as it's this glacier that feeds the Valley's water bodies.
"That has all sorts of implications for horticulture, growing of crops, and of course on top of that changing temperatures itself which also changes the behavior of crops as does the increase of carbon-dioxide-in the atmosphere," said Jimmi Falk, Glaciologist, University of Melbourne, Australia.
To make this Himalayan mission a reality, the PM has also urged stakeholder nations to pitch in and create common action plan so that these ancient mountains get another chance.