Much as we hate to write this, the Kashmir valley is under a prolonged dry spell. It is foggy in mornings, remaining that way for a few hours till a dull sun breaks the monotony leading up to an unusually pleasant day before setting to lead up to chilly evenings. However, amidst all this we are missing one important detail which is that it is not snowing enough to refill the glaciers and make our winter picnic resorts to have a proper wintry resort look.
The visitors who visited Gulmarg for Christmas and New Year celebrations have made numerous vlogs describing displeasure at the lack of proper snow in the highest touristy place in Kashmir. It must be borne in mind that Gulmarg has its exclusivity only because of huge snowfall in winters as the hoteliers up the prices as the operation’s food & beverages and heat gadgets are expensive. A visit to Gulmarg is often many times more costly as compared to a visit to Pahalgam or Doodhpathri as it is a highland meadow right at the altitude where it is usually sub-zero even at day time.
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Tourists these days have access to the internet and make vlogs about their stay which reaches to their millions of followers worldwide. Now, this is a double-edged sword. The news about the lack of enough snowfall has spread like wildfire and one should not be surprised if a few trip cancellations happen in the days to come.
Coming to the spring and summer of 2024, if the snow does not fall in January proper and the glaciers do not get refilled in time then we can expect low water levels in the major rivers, rivulets, and tributaries. This can impact our tourism, agriculture, and more importantly, it can severely impact power production.
Also, the fact that we would be witnessing huge footfall of tourists in 2024 due to rail connectivity between Srinagar and Jammu which can start any day from now, the lack of efficient water supply in urban areas can trigger an avoidable crisis.
The government setup must take immediate plan rescheduling and make amends if it does not snow for the remaining days of January. We are hopeful that the current government establishment can take note of this and spawn immediate remedial measures without any further delay.
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