Uttarakhand’s Roopkund lake, known as the “lake of skeletons” is experiencing adverse impacts due to climate change. India’s one of the top trekking destinations – Roopkund Lake, which is situated 16,500 ft above sea level at the base of Mount Trishul, is shrinking, drawing concerns from environmental activists. Roopkund Lake spread across two acres at the height of 16,500 ft above sea level.
A report published in Time of India highlights the shrinking of the lake. The report stated quoting Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sarvesh Dubey that Roopkund lake is shrinking in width and depth by about 0.1 per cent-0.5 per cent a year.
Why is Roopkund Lake called a lake of skeletons?
Roopkund Lake is called as the “lake of skeletons” as the glacial body conceals numbers of human skeletons some with preserved flesh. These skeletons become visible when snow melts in the region.
He pointed out that earlier the region around the lake used to experience good amount of snowfall but, nowadays, the area receives more rainfall which causes the sliding down of the moraine into the lake, subsequently, damaging the glacial body. Dubey asserted this shift in the nature of rainfall patterns is directly linked to climate change and global warming. The officials flagged altering the natural balance of the region.
He further said the authorities attempting to take help from the experts at Forest Research Institute and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) to fix the issue.