No possibility of Gangotri Glacier disappearing: Sibal

New Delhi, Aug 31 (UNI) The prospect of disappearance of the Gangotri Glacier does not exist, though the shrinking of the glacier is a matter of concern, Earth Sciences Minister Kapil Sibal informed the Lok Sabha today.

Geological Survey of India (GSI) has been conducting studies on the recession of the Gangotri Glacier since 1935, the Minister said in a written reply.

The rate of shrinking of 30.2 -km-long Gangotri Glacier in the last three decades has been found to be more than the rate during the earlier decades.

The average rate of recession has been computed by comparing the snout position on 1985 topo sheet map and the 2001 satellite imagery and the result shows that average recession for this period is about 25 metres a year or 83 feet a year.

UNI