Category: Environment

Environment

Rain, Snow expected across Kashmir Valley, Avalanche warning for high-altitude areas

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Third wet spell of the winter is expected across Kashmir tonight and it is likely to bring heavy rain and snowfall in the region during the next two days, the meteorological department said. Downpour is expected to begin across the state tonight and it will last till Sunday. “Moderate to heavy rainfall and snowfall is likely to occur on Saturday and it will gradually decrease,” Mukhtar Ahmad, deputy director, Srinagar Meteorological Centre, said. Precipitation in Kashmir is mostly caused by the western disturbance, an extratropical storm originating in the Mediterranean…

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Under Police Cordon, 5 Walnut trees cut down for Police Officer

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Tehsildar of Imam Sahib area says a ‘notorious’ Sub-Inspector supervised the illegal felling Shopian: Because the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) needed the wood for his house, five huge walnut trees were cut down in Woyen village of Shopian on Monday evening, even as policemen formed a cordon so that nobody could go near the spot. The owners of the trees themselves cut them down, though the felling of walnut trees, especially green walnut trees, has been banned by the state government for several years now. The Tehsildar of the…

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Snow & Rain likely in J&K from Friday

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Minimum temperatures improved appreciably in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday as the Met forecast rain and snow across the state beginning Friday. “A Western disturbance is approaching the state. It is likely to become active on Friday and Saturday. Rain and snow are expected during this period,” a MET official said. The minimum temperatures across the state improved on Wednesday after an overnight cloud cover, he added. Minimum temperatures were 5.6 in Srinagar while it was 1.4 in Pahalgam and minus 2.4 in Gulmarg. Kargil town in the Ladakh region…

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MeT predicts Rain, Snow in Kashmir from Tuesday

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A fresh spell of rain or snow was likely to be witnessed as the western disturbance (WD) will affect the region from February 20, Meteorological Department predicted on Sunday. “A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect Western Himalayan region from 20th February onwards and is likely to cause isolated to scattered rainfall or snowfall activity over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh,” IMD said in its weather forecast. On February 11, Kashmir valley along with other parts of the state received major snowfall after a long dry spell. The…

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Finally, Snowfall may end dry spell across J&K

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After the 40-day harshest period of winter, ‘Chilai Kalan’, passed off without any snow, the weather department has finally forecast precipitation in the Valley. “Heavy rain or snow is likely over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on February 11,” the national forecast of the Meteorological Department said, adding that heavy rain or snow was likely on subsequent days also — from February 12 to February 14. “Fairly widespread to widespread rain/snow is likely over Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on February 12 and decrease subsequently,” it said. The…

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Hope for snowy winter fades as dry spell to continue

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PHE Dept asked to prepare drought action plan This year, bright sunny days remained the defining feature in the Kashmir valley during the past month as the temperatures remained quite high and caused a premature departure of the region’s harshest winter period. The day temperature throughout January and for the last few days has been described as “marked high” in the series of weekly reports by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). During the winter’s core period, the mercury touched five to six degrees above the season’s average i.e. 6.3°C in…

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Due to lack of snowfall in Kashmir, water crisis threaten to leave Agriculture, Tourism sectors high and dry

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It is around 4.30 in the evening and many people including a few elders from a village in South Kashmir can be seen sitting at the front of a shop. One among the elders is gazing at a barren mountain that used to remain covered in snow during winter and spring. “It has become Punjab here. There will be huge water crisis this year and there is a low possibility of crop yield,” he rued. Almost everyone in Kashmir opines that this year will be difficult for agriculture and horticulture.…

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Keep check on growth of water lilies in Dal Lake: High Court

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The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) to remain alert about the re-emergence of lily pads in the Dal Lake and take immediate steps in February and March to curtail their reappearance. Earlier in December 27, while expressing its satisfaction with the removal of lily pads from the Dal Lake, the court had asked LAWDA to continue the process, so as to not allow any re-growth in the next season. As the matter came up for hearing before a division bench headed…

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90% Dip in precipitation, January 2018 decade’s driest period

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Kashmir witnessed the driest January in a decade with nearly 90 per cent deficiency in precipitation. It has also risked the survival of the region’s water bodies. The Indian Meteorological Department listed the state as having “largely deficient” rain and snowfall this month, which otherwise, receives an average of 95.7-mm rainfall. During the month, the state received 3.2-mm rain and snowfall against the normal average of 65.3 mm for that period – resulting in 95 per cent deficiency, the IMD said in its report. Moreover, the state’s nine districts received…

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As the Chillai Kalan ends in Kashmir; temperature appreciates in some areas

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The Chillai-Kalan, a 40-day period of harsh winter, on Wednesday ended without a major snow in Kashmir as the night temperature rose across the Valley. During Chillai-Kalan, the possibility of snow is maximum. While there was downpour when the period began and ended this season, it was one of the driest in four decades. Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital, recorded a minimum temperature of 3.5 degrees Celsius, an official of the Met department said here. He said all-weather stations in the Valley–except Pahalgam and Gulmarg–recorded minimum temperatures above the…

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