Arunachal min flags off 3rd Khangri glacier expedition

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh science & technology minister Dasanglu Pul on Saturday flagged off the 3rd Khangri glacier scientific expedition from the office premises of the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies (CESHS) in Itanagar.

The expedition team consists of 10 scientists and scholars from the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa, CESHS, Itanagar, and IIT Guwahati.

Scientist & head of geosciences division at CESHS, Rupankar Rajkhowa, said the team will undertake a high-altitude scientific mission to Khangri glacier on Gorichen mountain in Tawang.

He said the objective of the expedition included assessment of snow cover and its volume, retrieval of glacier mass balance, data from previously installed stakes and collection of meteorological data from automatic weather stations (AWS). The team will also install and update water-level measuring equipment, conduct a bathymetric survey of the high-altitude Rani lake, using a sonar-equipped kayak and explore newly-formed glacial lakes near Khangri glacier, Rajkhowa added.

The data will provide critical insights into glacial retreat, freshwater dynamics and potential glacial lake outburst flood risks, Rajkhowa said.

The expedition not only advances cryospheric research in the eastern Himalayas, but also supports the development of long-term strategies for environmental conservation, disaster preparedness and sustainability of local ecosystems and communities in Arunachal Pradesh, Rajkhowa said.