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Himalayan ecosystem is a national responsibility, says Jitendra Singh at Srinagar mountain summit

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The Himalayan ecosystem is a national responsibility and every citizen has a stake in protecting it, Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on 13 October. He spoke at a special session of the 13th All India Sustainable Mountain Development Summit at SKUAST-Kashmir in Srinagar.

Himalayan ecosystem: Jitendra Singh speaks at SKUAST-K in Srinagar
Jitendra Singh speaks at SKUAST-K in Srinagar Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

Himalayan ecosystem at the Srinagar mountain summit

The summit runs from 12 to 14 October under the theme ‘Contouring Sustainable Himalayan Landscapes for Inclusive Viksit Bharat’. It is organised by SKUAST-K and the Integrated Mountain Initiative, and the talks centre on the draft Jammu and Kashmir Sustainable Mountain Development Policy 2026. Singh said the Himalayas support springs, rivers and glaciers as well as tourism, farming and livelihoods. He warned that unauthorised construction and unregulated activity raise risks in fragile mountain areas.

Key Facts

  • Summit: 13th edition, 12-14 October, SKUAST-K Srinagar
  • Weather radars: 16 (2014) to 50 now
  • More planned: 50 under Mission Mausam
  • Glacier monitoring: Ladakh and Doda since 2015

Glacier monitoring and Himalayan research centres

Singh cited work under the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change. The Department of Science and Technology has set up research centres at the University of Kashmir, Sikkim University and Tezpur University. The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology has been monitoring glaciers in Ladakh and Doda since 2015, using automatic weather stations and seismometers. UNI and Daily Excelsior also reported his remarks.

Delegates at the mountain development summit
Delegates at the mountain development summit Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

Mission Mausam radars and what comes next

Singh said India’s weather radar network has grown from 16 radars in 2014 to 50, with another 50 planned under Mission Mausam. He also pointed to the Aroma Mission and the ‘Purple Revolution’ in lavender as examples of science creating rural jobs in J&K. Local reports said he indicated the Centre may look at the draft J&K mountain policy once it is finalised. The summit was due to close on 14 October with sessions on the draft policy and mountain livelihoods.

Why It Matters: Floods, landslides and glacier lake bursts are rising in the Himalayas, so better monitoring and stricter building rules directly protect lives downstream.

Also on TrendDesh: Mount Mukut expedition: Coast Guard team scales 7,045-metre peak ahead of Everest bid · Monsoon withdrawal extends to Maharashtra, Telangana and Odisha, says IMD

Source: PIB · UNI India · Daily Excelsior

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