The social media feed in India is full of reels, posts, and videos about the lack of snowfall in the highland meadow and ace skiing heaven of India Gulmarg and the consequent canceled bookings by prospective tourists. Some tourists are posting comparative pics of last year’s Gulmarg and this year’s pictures. There is a visible contrast, a scary contrast. As we write this more and more prospective tourists are cancelling their hotel bookings in Gulmarg.
Gulmarg has had snowless December for a few years but a snowless December coupled with a complete snowless January is unheard of in living memory. Experts are already warning that this abject lack of snowfall in the higher reaches of Kashmir could wreak havoc on the economy of Kashmir. Horticulture which is the backbone of Kashmir’s economy could suffer immensely as the hydration brought by the accumulated snowfall cannot be replicated through any other medium.
The current government establishment had made all the necessary preparations for winter tourism but nature had something else in store for us. Gulmarg pictures suggest a completely snowless surface. The only things wintry-like are the sub-zero temperatures. Tourists who speak to different media guys openly suggest Gulamrg was a bad choice as the only Unique Selling Point (USP) of Gulmarg which is snowfall was not there. The tourists look completely disappointed and dejected.
As of now, we are hearing that some of the major mosques and other religious organizations are organizing joint prayers to pay for snowfall. Such is the gravity of the situation that even religious scholars feel its urgency. The geologists and weather experts are already sounding alarms for next year’s power generation prospects and asking people to be prepared for massive load shedding for the upcoming year.
As of now, we can only redirect the tourists to places like Sonmarg and Gurez where western disturbances are expected to bring some snowfall over the course of the next week. Let us hope it snows at least in those parts of Kashmir and sooner we can have snowfall in Gulmarg as well.
