Uttarakhand: Debris from landslide has shrunk Chamoli’s Roop Kund lake 
A photograph from September 2024 showing the debris in Roop Kund LakeUttarakhand Forest Department

Uttarakhand: Debris from landslides has shrunk Chamoli’s Roop Kund lake 

The area around the lake is filled with landslide debris and silt, reducing the lake’s surface area
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The impact of rapidly rising temperatures is more evident than ever on the Himalayan peaks. So far this year, there have been reports of landslides in the Kedarnath hills, sinking of the Varunavat mountain, melting of snow from Om Parvat, and latest to the litany of bad news is the shrinking of the glacial lake Roop Kund. 

All these adverse events can be attributed to a single major phenomenon — instead of snow and flurries, the mountains are facing intense rain showers which has led to spate in landslide incidence. 

Between August 21 and September 17, a group of pilgrims participating in the Maa Nanda Devi Lokjat Yatra in Chamoli witnessed changes in the shrinking Roop Kund Lake, which was covered with debris and stones. 

Coincidentally, forest department employees were also accompanying these pilgrims. Photos taken by these employees in June and then on September 11 during the trip show a clear difference in the size of Roop Kund lake. 

The area around the lake is found to be filled with landslide debris and silt, reducing the lake's surface area.

SK Dubey, the District Forest Officer of the Badrinath forest division, confirmed this. 

“Roop Kund Lake, situated at an altitude of 4,763 metres, usually sees light rainfall during the monsoon, followed by snowfall. However, this time, there has been more rain here. This entire area is naturally very eco-fragile. The rain has also caused landslides, the debris of which has accumulated around the lake,” he told Down To Earth (DTE)

The forest official noted that while debris and silt usually accompany the rain every year, this year it has been particularly pronounced. Forest department staff have also noticed this change.

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Uttarakhand: Debris from landslide has shrunk Chamoli’s Roop Kund lake 

Roop Kund is a vital halt point en route the Maa Nanda Devi Rajjat Yatra and Lokjat Yatra. It is famous for the ancient bones and skeletons found there. This small bowl-shaped lake, typically frozen over, reveals bones when the ice melts around September after the monsoon. Studies have indicated that these skeletons belong to a large group of 300-700 individuals who likely perished near the lake during a snowstorm around 1,200 years ago.

Manish Mehta, a senior scientist and glaciologist at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, told DTE, “Roop Kund Lake was likely an ancient bowl-shaped lake, formed by a cirque glacier. The lake’s size may have shrunk due to activities such as avalanches, rockfalls, and landslides in the surrounding area. Additionally, reduced snowfall has led to less water in the lake”.

Mehta suggested that this may be the first instance of a glacial lake shrinking in the state and emphasises the need for further study.

Dubey also advocated for research into Roop Kund.

Roop Kund Lake in June 2024
Roop Kund Lake in June 2024 Uttarakhand Forest Department

Glacial lakes can be broadly categorized into five types based on their origin: pro-glacial lakes formed in front of glaciers, supra-glacial lakes formed on the glacier surface, peri-glacial lakes formed near or on glacial debris, and cirque glacial lakes formed in bowl-shaped depressions between mountains. There are also lakes that do not fit into these categories.

While Roop Kund Lake is shrinking due to climate change and seasonal variations, the accelerated melting of glaciers is leading to the formation of new glacial lakes that could pose threats in the future.

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Uttarakhand: Debris from landslide has shrunk Chamoli’s Roop Kund lake 

For instance, the disaster caused by the breach of Lhonak Lake in Sikkim in 2023 serves as a recent example. In 2021, a landslide and glacial lake outburst in Chamoli resulted in significant damage. The 2013 Kedarnath disaster was also exacerbated by the breach of the Chaudabari Lake.

Uttarakhand is home to about 1,400 small and large glaciers. A 2015 study indicated that the state has approximately 1,353 lakes larger than 500 square metres, with the highest number (713) located in Chamoli. The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Department is monitoring 13 high-risk lakes that are at risk of breaching (GLOF).

One of these is the pro-glacial lake Vasundhara Tal, formed by the Raikana Glacier in the Dhauliganga Basin in Chamoli district. In the 1960s, this glacial lake was about 15 per cent smaller than the Bhimtal Lake. As temperatures rose, the glacier began to retreat more rapidly. By the 1990s, the size of the Raikana glacier lake exceeded that of Bhimtal by about 15 per cent.

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Uttarakhand: Debris from landslide has shrunk Chamoli’s Roop Kund lake 

In the next two decades, the glacier’s retreat rate increased from 15 to 30 metres per year. By 2021, the size of the Raikana glacier lake had increased approximately fourfold (0.59 square km), making Vasundhara Tal sensitive to disaster risks.

Mehta noted that the Wadia Institute is studying 13 lakes, including Vasundhara Tal, while the disaster management department is monitoring them.

These glaciers are clear indicators of changing weather, rising temperatures, and climate change. In the 2024 monsoon, several clear signs were observed in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand alone. 

DTE reported on the damage caused by heavy rains in Kedarnath in July, a landslide on Varunawat mountain after 20 years in August, and the scientific aspects of the snow that melted from Om Parvat, which revealed the ‘Om’ shape for the first time. The images of Roop Kund Lake's shrinking underscore the urgency of addressing this situation.

Down To Earth
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