Tag: #Drought

J&K’s Dry Spell Deepens: 86% Rainfall Deficit Sparks Water, Ecology and Fire Alarms

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J&K’s Dry Spell Deepens: 86% Rainfall Deficit Sparks Water, Ecology and Fire Alarms

J&K Records 86% Rain Deficit | Shrinking Rivers, Rising Fire Risk, Water Crisis By: Javid Amin | 10 December 2025 A Region Parched as Rain Refuses to Come Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is witnessing a distressing environmental and humanitarian signal: an acute rainfall shortfall that has plunged the region into a precarious situation. Between November 1 and December 9, 2025, the Union Territory recorded a mere 6.1 mm of rain, against an expected 43.1 mm, marking a staggering 85.8% deficit. This prolonged dry spell — persisting since around November 5…

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Persistent Heatwave in Kashmir: Receding River Levels Impact Apple Quality

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Persistent Heatwave in Kashmir: Receding River Levels Impact Apple Quality

Dry weather and above normal temperatures in Kashmir over seven weeks have adversely affected horticulture production, particularly apple, but have proved good for paddy crop, experts said. The weather has also led to a fall in the water level of Jhelum and other water bodies. Kashmir is India’s largest apple grower, producing around 20 lakh metric tonnes of apples every year. They added that if the rain scarcity continues, it will have a negative impact on Saffron and potato production in the region. The Valley is experiencing high temperatures with…

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Kashmir Grapples with Prolonged Dry Spell: 80% of Region Experiencing Moderate to Severe Dryness

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Kashmir Grapples with Prolonged Dry Spell: 80% of Region Experiencing Moderate to Severe Dryness

By Faizan Arif Over the past four weeks, Jammu and Kashmir has been grappling with a significant shortfall in rainfall. According to India Meteorological Department data related to the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), approximately 80 percent of the area in Kashmir region (8 out of 10 districts), has been impacted by moderate to extreme dryness between August 3rd and August 30th. The SPI, relying on precipitation data, is a widely utilized index for characterizing meteorological drought on a range of timescales. This index is negative for drought and positive for…

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