HP to have regional centre for glacier studies

SHIMLA: The Centre will be opening a regional centre for glacier studies in Himachal Pradesh and will strengthen meteorological network by setting up Dopplar Radars, state Science and Technology minister J P Nadda said on Thursday.

Accepting the request of the state, secretary Science and Technology of the Union government has ensured that one of the three regional centres being planned in the country for study of glaciers will be located in HP, Nadda said in a release.

The Centre has asked for a suitable site to be made available for such a centre and will provide funds for the purpose, he added.

Nadda had led a delegation from HP, which held discussions with Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal recently.

Nadda said the Centre also accepted a request for strengthening the meteorological network in the hill state to deal with natural calamities such as flood and cloudbursts which are becoming a recurrent phenomenon. The existing network will be strengthened by establishing Dopplar Radars.

A district-level forewarning and forecast system will be put in place in the state shortly, he said.

Highlighting the impact of global warming on mountain eco-system, Nadda noted that climate change is one of the most crucial environmental issues facing humanity today.