How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far-reaching impact on the water resources of India? (150 words, 10 marks)

Himalayan glaciers regulate the perennial flow of the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra systems. Their accelerated retreat can produce both short-term excess water and long-term scarcity.

• Initial increase: Enhanced melt may raise river discharge, aggravating floods, bank erosion and glacial lake outburst floods.
• Long-term decline: Shrinking ice reserves will reduce lean-season flows when monsoon rainfall is absent and irrigation demand is high.
• Agriculture: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and the Himalayan states may face unreliable irrigation supplies.
• Drinking water: Mountain springs and downstream groundwater recharge may become seasonal and uncertain.
• Hydropower: Sedimentation, altered discharge and extreme events threaten dams and generation schedules.
• Ecosystems: Wetlands, fisheries and riverine biodiversity will be affected by changed temperature and flow regimes.
• Security: Water stress may intensify interstate and transboundary tensions.

Glacier and lake monitoring, climate-resilient infrastructure, efficient irrigation, aquifer recharge, watershed restoration and basin-level cooperation are essential.

glacier retreat, GLOF, lean-season flow, Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra, hydropower, water security.