MANDI: Mounting tourist footfall, expanded tunnel connectivity, and shifting climatic conditions are worsening ecological fragility in the high Himalayas, according to experts from IIT Mandi. Commenting on the findings of a recent glacial lake evaluation, Associate Professor Dericks P. Shukla maintained that year-round vehicular access through mountain passes has led to heavy soot and carbon accumulation on glaciers, directly increasing melt rates and destabilizing sub-surface ice layers.
Shukla asserted that permafrost degradation—the thawing of ground frozen continuously for years—poses a severe threat to slope stability across vulnerable terrain. Drawing parallels to the August 26 flash flood disaster in Nepal that claimed over 1,100 lives, he noted that permafrost collapse played a significant role in triggering massive landslides and secondary flooding. Environmental experts maintained that while regional connectivity projects support local commerce, infrastructure expansion must be carefully regulated through strict carrying-capacity limits to prevent severe ecological disruption.
