If glaciers, nature’s largest freshwater reservoirs, disappear, life on Earth will be in danger, said Prof. P.G. Shastri, former director of NIT Warangal, even as he pointed out that glaciers were melting at an alarming rate.
Hyderabad: If glaciers, nature’s largest freshwater reservoirs, disappear, life on Earth will be in danger, said Prof. P.G. Shastri, former director of NIT Warangal, even as he pointed out that glaciers were melting at an alarming rate. He said rising global temperatures and population growth were leading to rapid depletion of water resources.
Prof. Shastri presented data on glaciers like Gangotri, Kilimanjaro and those in Greenland, and showed their rapid retreat over the last 50 years. Despite India having 2,800 water projects, he said the country still faced a severe water crisis.
He was speaking at a seminar at the Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI) on World Water Day.
Dr Anupama Mohanty of the Institute of Public Enterprises warned that glacier melting could lead to water shortages and rising sea levels. She noted that south Indian reservoirs hold only 25 per cent of their full capacity, making cities like Hyderabad dependent on water tankers.
Experts including A. Paramesham, Jambul Reddy and Dr G. Rameshwar Rao discussed water-sharing disputes, conservation strategies, and new projects. V.L. Praveen Kumar, director of the Metro Water Board, revealed that Hyderabad requires 550 million gallons of water daily, stressing the need for careful water usage.
