With “black carbon” being tipped as one of the reasons for accelerated global melting, The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), Delhi, will undertake studies to see its impact on glaciers in Lahaul-Spiti and Sikkim.

Syed Iqbal Hasnain from TERI has said it was due to use of adulterated diesel by vehicles, especially trucks, which had caused emission of black carbon, leading to faster melting of glaciers in the Himalayas. “The government must come out with some strong regulations for the transport sector, especially in the Himalayan states, if the disturbing trend of accelerated melting of glaciers is to be checked,” he added.

He said seeing the serious repercussions that glacial melting could have the government would have to act tough and also take up the matter with the refineries so that emission levels were brought down. “It is common knowledge that adulterated diesel costing Rs 12 per litre is being used by the transport sector which will obviously have harmful emissions,” he opined.

Hasnain said he was a member of the UN Environment Programme and in its meeting held in Sweden last week it was decided to make a global assessment of melting of glaciers with focus on Indo-China as these were the hot spots of black carbon. “Having the largest coal deposits, the situation in China is even worse with industry, transport and power sector adding to the emission levels,” he said.

“It was through an aetholometer deployed at Kolahoi glacier in Lidder valley and Rathong glacier in Sikkim earlier this year that TERI found that black carbon aerosol levels were very high,” said Hasnain. He said TERI had measured the phenomena and there was need for more research so that absorption by dust and soot on snow and ice could be studied.

He added there was need for stronger action and mitigation so that all factors like black carbon and air pollution do not affect the snow cover and glaciers adversely.

He said the glaciers in the eastern and central part of the Himalayas were especially sensitive to the present atmospheric warnings due to their summer accumulation type. “Warm temperatures lead to enhanced melting and can cause more of the precipitation to fall as rain rather than as snow,” he added.

He said sunlight absorbed by black carbon was the second largest contributor to atmospheric warming in the region after carbon dioxide.