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Next Maha Kumbh Could Be On Sand As Rivers May Dry Up: Sonam Wangchuk’s Open Letter To Pm Modi

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Ahana Bhattacharya
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Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing his concern about India’s rivers drying up. With reference to the ongoing Maha Kumbh 2025, the climate activist has expressed his concern saying the next Maha Kumbh which will take place after 144 years, might have to be conducted on sand as India’s rivers may dry up by then.
“As we all know the glaciers of the Himalayas are melting very fast and if this and the accompanying deforestation continues at current rates then in the next few decades our sacred rivers like Ganga, Brahmaputra 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,” wangchuk mentions in his letter.
The ongoing Maha Kumbh, which began on January 13 and will conclude today, is being held on the banks of the Triveni Sangam in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. The Triveni Sangam is the meeting point of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers.

Wangchuk expresses concern about fast melting Himalayan glaciers

In his letter, Sonam Wangchuk also expressed concern about the “fast melting” of the Himalayan glaciers, the source of many of India’s rivers. Wangchuk suggested that India should “take a lead” in preserving its glaciers.
He wrote, “There is a grave need to do everything to slow down glacial melting in the Himalayas. The United Nations has declared the year 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and 21st March as World Day for Glaciers. Unfortunately there is very little awareness about these initiatives on the ground among common people. Therefore I believe it is time that India, in your leadership takes the lead as the nation with most glaciers in Himalayas.”

Wangchuk suggests steps to preserve glaciers

The Ladakh-based environmentalist called himself an “admirer” of various environmental initiatives undertaken by PM Modi, and urged him to set up a commission to assess the state of Himalayan glaciers. He has suggested a few steps to preserve the glaciers, such as:
Setting up a commission to assess the state of the Himalayan glaciers
Declaring major glaciers like the Gangotri and Yamunotri as national treasures
Framing special policies to protect the Himalayan glaciers
He also sought a meeting with PM Modi for a group of community members from Ladakh to present a block of ice from one of Ladakh’s fast melting glaciers as a “message” from the climate-affected people of the region.

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