By Zainul Abi din Raina

The rapid decline of the Thajiwas Glacier in Sonamarg has pushed the valley into a defining moment, and the latest scientific evidence leaves little room for complacency.

Researchers from the University of Kashmir recently found that Thajiwas Glacier has lost nearly 88 percent of its ice volume over time. 

The glacier’s overall area has shrunk sharply as temperatures continue to rise in the Himalayas. Scientists also recorded an upward shift of nearly 1,300 meters in the glacier’s equilibrium line, a key indicator that shows severe climatic stress in the region.

This story reaches far beyond a shrinking sheet of ice.

Thajiwas forms part of the ecological foundation of the Sindh Valley. Its decline threatens water systems, mountain biodiversity, tourism livelihoods and the environmental stability of a region that already faces erratic weather patterns and rising ecological pressure. 

Sonamarg draws thousands of visitors every year because of its landscape, streams and snow-fed mountain character. A weakened glacier changes that entire system.

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