With the horrors of global warming becoming an internationally-recognised reality; closer home, the gradual melting of Himalayan glaciers and decreasing snowfall in the recent years in the hill state has alarmed climate experts.

Concurring with the latest international report confirming the "unequivocal" nature of global warming, the government is proposing to set up a regional centre for monitoring glacial environment and climate change.

The immediate trigger for such an affirmative action from the government has been the alarming decrease in frequency and intensity of snowfall over the past few years on one hand and the consistent rise in temperatures being witnessed over the years in the hill state.

The scenario has manifested in shrinking glaciers in all four main river basins of the state. Moreover, the more visible impact of climate change is being witnessed on the pattern of crops with the deodar trees getting dried up due to less cold and apple crop suffering a drop in yield in the apple belt due to decreased snowfall.

Interestingly, the shooting up of temperatures in the cold desert regions has started yielding apple crop.

"The retreating glaciers and rising temperatures are a cause of concern for which we need to undertake impact assessment studies so that a policy for adaptation and preparedness can be formulated to atleast prevent its further deterioration," says Mr R.K. Sood, Joint Member Secretary, Himachal Pradesh Council for Science, Technology and Environment.

For the second consecutive year, negligible rain and a decreasing snowfall pattern is being witnessed in the state, impacting not just the flora and fauna but more importantly posing a threat to the very existence of the hydro-power projects that have been set up in the state.

With just 2.2 mm of rain and no snowfall during the month of January this year, there is concern at this unusual trend as it is for the second time after 1998 that there has been a snowless January in Shimla.

The average snowfall in the state has declined from 272.4 cms during 1976-80 to a mere 77.20 cms during 2001-04. As per a study undertaken by the department of Silviculture and Agro-forestry, Horticulture University, Nauni the terminal points of the deodar trees are drying up because of non-fulfillment of their chilling requirement.

According to the Glaciology Division of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) majority of the glaciers in the basins of the four main rivers of Himachal, Ravi, Beas, Satluj and Chenab have shown both vertical as well as horizontal shrinkage with different magnitude.

The Sara Umga glacier in the Beas basin is retreating at an average annual rate of 43.3 m/year while the Tal glacier in Ravi basin is receding at a rate of 39.9 m/year. Other glaciers exhibiting fast recession include bara Shigri in Chenab basin, Man Talai in Beas basin and Manimahseh in Ravi basin.