If you thought that the plastic bag you left on a mountain slope after a trekking expedition

would have no impact on the mighty glaciers, think again. J C Kuniyal, senior scientist at G
B Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Mohal in Kullu says, "In
2005, non-biodegradable waste was 16.9% of total waste in Manali and 34.8% in Kullu in
Himachal Pradesh. In and around the Valley of Flowers and the Pindari valley in
Uttarakhand, such waste comprised 84.5 and 66.4% of the total generated waste. Thus,
these results show that non-biodegradable is much higher in trekking and expedition
locations than the down-slope hill spots." The numbers have only grown since.
"Non-biodegradable waste absorbs heat which results in rise in temperature and melting of
glaciers. Formation of new lakes has posed a threat of glacial lake outburst flood. No one
knows when the lakes would burst in next 20, 30 or 50 years," says Professor R K Ganjoo,
a specialist in quaternary geomorphology, climate change and glaciology, from Jammu
University. There are 249 glacial lakes in Himachal Pradesh and 11 have been identified as
having potential risk of breaching. Experts said that these lakes need regular monitoring.