THIS is with reference to the article “Protecting KP’s glaciers” (July 13), which highlighted the rapid melting of glaciers across the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. The glaciers in our north are truly Pakistan’s lifeblood, providing water supply to the majestic rivers that sustain the entire country. However, they are melting at an alarming rate and are being exploited for commercial purposes without authorisation. I personally witnessed the sale of ice cut from the glaciers in the markets of the upper reaches of Swat valley. During the summer, mini-trucks are loaded with glacier ice daily which is then sold in the lower regions.

It is essential to preserve our glaciers. This requires policy declarations and their strict implementation. Climate change is the major cause of this issue, as evidenced by the catastrophic floods of 2022, which resulted in over 1,700 casualties and affected 33 million people. Our regions are highly vulnerable to climate change, and we must make greater efforts than the rest of the world to prevent future disasters.

There should be constant monitoring of glaciers due to the threats of glacial outbursts that may lead to flash floods, endangering lives. Since infrastructure and markets are built along the rivers in the north, flooding destroys both, damaging the local economy, which heavily relies on the tourism industry. Through glacial outburst monitoring, the possibilities of flooding can be predicted, and precious lives can be saved.

Ubaid Sahil
Swat

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2024