Next Maha Kumbh May Be on Sand as Rivers Could Dry Up, Sonam Wangchuk Warns PM

Sonam Wangchuk Warns PM: An open letter addressed to prime minister Narendra Modi was written by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who apprehended that the next Maha Kumbh might be held on sand after 144 years, as "the rivers might dry up."

In his correspondence, Sonam Wangchuk emphasized to the prime minister the fast depleting glaciers of the Himalayas, the origin to many of the rivers in India.

Wangchuk also called on India to "take the lead" in preserving its glaciers.

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"India needs to take a lead in glacier preservation as we have the Himalayas, and our sacred rivers such as the Ganga and Yamuna come out of them," he said in his letter.

Now this ecologist from Ladakh claims to be an "adorer" of the green ventures of the Prime Minister and has called for a commission to evaluate the conditions of Himalayan glaciers.

“As we all know, the Himalayan glaciers are melting very fast, and if this and the accompanying deforestation continues at the current rate, in a few decades our sacred rivers like Ganga, Brahmputra and Indus might become seasonal rivers. This may also mean that the next Maha Kumbh might only happen on the sandy remains of the sacred river,” he warned.

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In addition, Wangchuk lamented that at ground level, people's awareness on this issue is "very little."

He also wanted a meeting with prime minister Modi for a group of community people from Ladakh to offer one chunk of ice from one of the rapidly melting glaciers of Ladakh as a communication from climate-ravaged people in the region.

The UN has announced 2025 as the "International Year of Glacier Preservation".

The ongoing Maha Kumbh, which began on January 13 and shall come to an end today, is being carried out on the banks of the Triveni Sangam. This sahadd.it is found in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.

Prayagraj is famed for its Sangam; here meet the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and mythic Saraswati.

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