With the 40-day coldest spell of winter (Chilai Kalaan) nearing its end on a dry note in Kashmir, experts have warned of serious consequences for tourism, power generation, water supply, health, agriculture and allied sectors.
Tourism sector has been badly hit for the lack of snow at Kashmir’s twin ski resorts- Gulmarg and Pahalgam.The chances of snowfall are usually most during ‘Chillai Kalan’, which began on December 21 and ends on January 31. However, with ‘Chillai Kalan’ in its fag end, Kashmir continues to experience dry weather. Except for brief spells of light snow in plains and moderate snowfall in the upper reaches on a few occasions, the period has remained largely dry.
Noted tour operator and President Adventure Tour Operators Association of Kashmir (ATOAK), Rauf Tramboo said most of the tourists have postponed their travel to Kashmir as the valley has received very less snowfall this winter.
He said the various winter sports activities, scheduled to be conducted at Gulmarg and Pahalgam, have either been postponed or cancelled altogether due to less snowfall.
“National Snow Championship and other snow related events to be held at Gulmarg have been cancelled,” Tramboo said.
He said the dry season has not only affected arrival of snow sports lovers but has hampered leisure tourism as well.
The ATOAK president said tourism stakeholders were expecting good winter tourism. “However, less snowfall has played spoilsport.”
“We wish there is good snowfall in the coming days so that we can revive winter tourism,” he added.
‘Chillai Kalan’ is followed by 20-day spell of ‘Chilai Khord’ and brief 10-day period of ‘Chilla Bacha’.
POWER GENERATION
The dry weather will also have a major impact on energy generation. “We have not received major snowfall so far this winter due to climate change caused by environmental degradation. If the dry spell continues during ‘Chilai-Khurd’ and ‘Chill-Bacha’ our hydro-electric power generation will suffer during summers,” said industry expert, Shakeel Qalandar, who also spearheads campaign to reclaim State’s power projects from NHPC.
Regarding the threat of climate change in Kashmir, he said: “Our glaciers have already depleted due to human interference and poses major threat to water supply.”
“We can’t promote tourism at the cost of our environment and ecology. We must assess the human carrying capacity of any place before starting pilgrimage or leisure tourism there,” Qalandar added.
He said the snow gets frozen during ‘Chilai Kalaan’ and melts slowly in summers while as the snowfall witnessed after or before this coldest spell of winter melts abruptly.
“The snowfall during ‘Chilai Kalaan’ itself works as glacier and stores as much water for rest of the year,” he said.
HEALTH
The dry period has also taken toll on people’s health with patients suffering from respiratory tract infections witnessing a surge.
“We have been witnessing surge in the number of patients suffering with common cold, asthma, pneumonia, cough and other chest infections. These infections will subside if there is snowfall,” said Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, HoD Chest Medicine, CD hospital.
Shah said there has been humidity in the upper and lower air-ways due to presence of foreign particles. “It weakens the local immune system in our bodies and we become prone to these diseases during dry season,” he said, adding that asthma patients are more likely to get infected.
AGRICULTURE
Experts have also warned of serious consequences on agriculture and horticulture sectors for lack of snowfall during ‘Chilai Kalaan’.
HoD Earth Sciences, University of Kashmir, Dr Shakil Ahmad Ramshoo said Kashmir which traditionally gets maximum snowfall during ‘Chilai Kalaan’ has witnessed “very less” snowfall this season.
“If this trend continues it will create drinking water scarcity in the Valley. During ‘Chilai Kalaan’ we must get snowfall so that water supply for irrigation purposes does not get affected in summers,” he told .
He said Valley has already lost 20 percent of glacier cover in last few decades. “And if there will be no snowfall during ‘Chilai Kalaan’ and following periods of ‘Chilai Khord’ and ‘Chilla Bacha’ it will have serious consequences for agriculture and horticulture sectors.”
