Less snowfall in Himachal-Kashmir - Gulmarg also dry - Paradise in sight

Himachal Pradesh: Paradise wrapped in white blanket of snow has come to the fore, the tourists coming to the mountains in search of snowfall are getting disappointed, not only in Kashmir but also in Himachal this time snowfall has reduced considerably. Gulmarg, which used to be covered with snow, is also facing drought. Not only is this a matter of disappointment for tourists, it is also a sign of great danger for the environment.

People hoping to have fun and snow skiing in the snowfall in the mountains are feeling disappointed. Due to decrease in snowfall, tourists are continuously canceling trips to hilly places. Meteorologists are blaming dry winter for this. It is believed that there is no hope of getting relief from this in the future also.

Snowfall is negligible in Kashmir, condition of Himachal is also bad

This time there has been very little snowfall in the Himalayan mountains, the situation is similar in Kashmir, Himachal as well as Uttarakhand. Tourists have felt quite disappointed due to average snowfall here. The situation is especially bad in Gulmarg, this time there is no snow visible here. On Tuesday, former CM Omar Abdullah also expressed concern over this matter by posting pictures of the last two years on social media.

Gulmarg today pic.twitter.com/D4buxNSAEm

— Weatherman Shubham (@shubhamtorres09) January 8, 2024

There is a huge decrease in snowfall

Along with Kashmir, snowfall is continuously decreasing in Himachal too. Approximately 18 percent reduction in snow cover has been observed in Himachal. If we talk about the last 20 years, snowfall in the mountains has reduced by about 78 percent. The situation is that in 2019-20, the snow cover in Himachal was approximately 23542 square km, which reduced to 19183 square km the next year. In this regard, the situation is looking even worse.

El Nino is the main reason

According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2023 was the hottest year recorded. Because of this El Nino became active. It is believed that this is the reason for less snowfall in Kashmir. El Niño is active when ocean temperatures are above average in the eastern tropical Pacific and the trade winds are weak. Meteorologists believe that the annual cycle is affected due to lack of snowfall.

Will have adverse effects

Lack of snowfall in the mountains will also have many adverse effects. Himalayan researcher AN Dimri said while talking to PTI that if snowfall continues to decrease like this, then the social cycle may also be affected in the future. Due to lack of snow, water shortage may affect the area. The economy is also affected by this. Speaking to PTI, former BRO Director General Lieutenant General Rajiv Chaudhary said that Zojila Pass connects Kashmir with Ladakh and is important for maintaining supplies for the troops deployed in forward areas of Ladakh. Normally at least 30 to 40 feet of snow accumulates around this time, but this time there is only six to seven feet of snow.