Snowless Kashmir

Dry spell of winter this year in Kashmir is a cause of concern for all. It has been primarily seen as a challenge for tourism business. Undoubtedly, it has hit the tour operators and the allied tourism services to great extent. As snowfall is always the main attraction for the tourists visiting Kashmir in winter. As per the official data 95,989 tourists had visited Gulmarg in January 2023.It includes the 547 foreign tourists. This year the data reveals that comparatively there is approximately 60 % lesser tourist traffic. That is one aspect. But there is a serious angle to dry spell of winter this year. As dry winters mean damage to winter crops, horticulture and above all the depletion of the water bodies and their water levels. It means that it affects the local economy to great extent. So when we say there has been snowless Kashmir this year; we mean that there has been adverse impact on the economy of Kashmir that will have long term ramifications. Not only Kashmir but Jammu and Ladakh regions too have been devoid of rainfall or snow this winter. Either in December last year or in January this year there has been dry spell. Jammu and Kashmir witnessed 80% rain deficit in December last year and now there is 100 % deficiency going on. Meteorological experts attribute this dry spell of winter to decline in western Disturbances leading to rise in temperatures. Besides the prevailing El Nino effect in the Eastern Pacific Ocean is cited an additional cause for this climate reversal. Winter precipitation in the Himalayas is caused by the Western Disturbances. These rain bearing wind systems originate beyond Afghanistan and Iran. They gather moisture from far away Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. North West India is dependent on this disturbance for the precipitation during winter season. The precipitation by Western disturbances has declined to 43% leaving the affected regions dry. Cumulatively it has led to the rise in temperature in the higher reaches than in plains. This can be understood from the temperatures in Kashmir this year. Temperatures have been considerably high in Kashmir this year and low in Jammu. Experts are of the opinion that the El Nino is there to continue in the coming months. So there seems to be no respite from the dry spell of winter. Various studies are indicating that there is a climate change and the people will have to gear up with this climatic shift. It has opened another front and this is of immense importance. People’s health is witnessing tremendous negative impact due these climatic changes. People are visiting the clinics, heath centres and doctors with fever, cough, cold, sore throat and chest discomfort. This is alarming keeping in view the continuous detection of the COVID 19 cases. Though there is increased health surveillance after the detection of the new JN1 variant. Several viruses like influenza, RSV, adeno virus, rhino virus and bacteria mycoplasma pnemoniae are in circulation. This is showing global trend. This concoction of pathogens is affecting the health of the people. In such an alarming situation of dry spell of winter the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory administration must alert its governance mechanism to protect people. Advisories must be issues for the general public  regarding the symptoms of the ailments that can inflict people in this situation. So that the spread of infection is prevented and people saved from this deadly cocktail of dry winter and the diseases that have emerged due to it