Lack of snow in Kashmir disappoints tourists

Srinagar: Scores of tourists returned home from Kashmir without getting a feel of snow. The lack of snowfall in the valley this winter will not only hit tourism and related activities but also badly affect agriculture and allied activities.

A large number of tourists, who arrived here on New Year's Eve in the hope of enjoying skiing and other snow-related activities in the Gulmarg Bowl, had to go back disappointed due to the lack of snowfall.

"We had booked a seven-day package from January 3 to January 9 in order to enjoy the snow in Gulmarg. But there is no snow. We had expected a white landscape all over the place but it is brown like any other region of north India," Pankaj Singh, a Delhi resident, told PTI here.

Singh, who had come to the valley with his wife and three kids, had plans of introducing his children to skiing and jet-ski rides but all the plans came a cropper.

"I have been a frequent visitor to Kashmir since 2005 and this year, I had brought my family along, hoping to teach skiing to my kids. With no snow, we will have to try again," he said.

People associated with the tourism industry are worried that no snowfall in Kashmir in winter would adversely affect the livelihood of thousands of people in the valley.

"This winter has been a very bad advertisement for our trade. Although Kashmir is not the only place that witnessed a lack of snow, our winter tourism mostly depends on snowfall. May Allah have mercy on us," Muzaffar Ahmad, a tour operator from the city, said.

National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah, an avid skier, expressed his concern about the lack of snow in the mountains, which can lead to problems for the valley residents in the summer.

"I've never seen Gulmarg so dry in the winter. To put this into perspective, here are a couple of photographs from previous years, both taken on the 6th of Jan. If we don't get snow soon the summer is going to be miserable. Not to mention skiers like me who can't wait to get on the slopes but there's nothing to ski on," Abdullah posted in X.

I’ve never seen Gulmarg so dry in the winter. To put this in to perspective here are a couple of photographs from previous years, both taken on the 6th of Jan. If we don’t get snow soon the summer is going to be miserable. Not to mention skiers like me who can’t wait to get on… https://t.co/6Bj2umfGJq pic.twitter.com/gkhMZ49XSf

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 9, 2024

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister also posted two pictures of himself taken on January 6 2022 and 2023 in Gulmarg with plenty of snow everywhere.

According to local farmers, with very little snowfall even in the higher reaches of Kashmir this winter, the agricultural produce in the valley can be severely affected, while there will also be problems for the residents as they will not get sufficient drinking water.

"The melting of snow at the onset of summer in the higher reaches of Kashmir is the main source of water for our rivers and streams. With no snow in the mountains, people in the plains will suffer. Crops will take a hit as there will be water scarcity for irrigation," Mohammad Akbar Ganai, a farmer from Nowgam, said.

Another X user posted a video of a wildfire sweeping through the Gulmarg golf course -- a phenomenon hitherto unthinkable in the month of January.

"Amidst a prolonged dry spell, a wildfire has swept through a section of Gulmarg Golf Course. The fire service is actively managing the situation, and currently, it is under control," Farhat Naik wrote in his post.

An official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said there has been a large deficit in winter snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh this year and the situation is unlikely to change before Republic Day.

"There is no forecast of any active Western Disturbance or snowfall till January 25. The satellite image from the MeT centre at Leh shows a grim picture of the rapid melting of glaciers, which are our priceless natural resource," Sonam Lotus, Director, of IMD Leh Centre, said.

According to the IMD's data, December 2023 saw 79-per cent deficit rainfall, while the first 10 days of January this year have also been dry.

If the IMD's forecast holds good, it will put into jeopardy the conduct of the fourth Khelo India National Winter Games, which are scheduled to be held at Gulmarg from February 2.