WINTER and snow are synonymous in Indian-held Kashmir, but the current chilly season has yet to see its first snowfall, ringing alarm bells over the potentially devastating impact of global warming and climate change.

According to BBC News, the picturesque valley, where snow-capped mountains are a routine sight in January, is currently “brown and barren”.

The region normally receives heavy snowfall during peak winter — a 40-day period that lasts from December 21 to January 29.

“This is unprecedented,” Manzoor Ahmad, a 50-year-old hotel manager in Gulmarg, told BBC News, adding that in his 17 years of professional life, he has never seen a season without snow.

The lack of snowfall has almost halved the number of tourists this month, as compared to around 100,000 tourists who visited during the same period a year before, officials told the broadcaster.

This brought the region’s tourism industry “to its knees” since the sector contributes seven per cent to the region’s GDP, BBC News reported.

Experts have warned that “snowless winter will have a disastrous impact on the territory’s economy”.

It will also impact farming and water supply as scanty snowfall will not replenish groundwater re­­serves adequately.

According to the reports, recent temperatures in the valley have persistently been warm, with most stations recording a six to eight degrees Celsius rise in temperature.

According to environmentalists, climate change has been impacting the region, causing extreme weather events and prolonged dry spells in both winter and summer. The weather department recorded a 79pc rainfall decline in December and a 100pc in January.

While quoting hotel owners, BBC News reported that tourists have cancelled their reservations, and many left without skiing or sleigh rides.

“Over 40pc of hotel reservations have been cancelled, and new bookings are currently on hold,” Aqib Chaya, president of Gulmarg Hoteliers Club, told BBC News.

Raj Kumar, a resident of the Indian state of Maharashtra who visited Kashmir with his family for the first time, told BBC News that they were crestfallen.

“We came here to witness snowfall and go on a cable car ride…but we were disappointed to see a snowless Gulmarg.”

The decline in tourists is hurting local businesses, a majority of which rely on tourism in the winter months to survive.

Tariq Ahmad Lone, who heads the pony riders association in Gulmarg, which has about 5000 members, told BBC News that they have not been able to earn much in the last three months.

“Our livelihood directly depends upon snow. A snowless season will bring misery for our families,” BBC News quoted him as saying.

Apart from tourism, experts said the absence of snowfall will also impact hydroelectricity generation, fisheries and farming.

The neighbouring territory of Ladakh — another popular tourist destination — is also experiencing a snowless winter.

“The farming here is dependent on glaciers. The glaciers are melting at a fast rate. No snowfall in the peak [winter] season means early spring water will be a big problem,” environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk told BBC News.

Irfan Rashid, an assistant professor at the University of Kashmir, adds that a drought-like situation “can’t be ruled out”.

Some experts said snowfall in the region has been declining for the past couple of years.

“Before the 1990s, we would witness heavy snowfall of up to 3ft, and it wouldn’t melt until spring. But we are now witnessing warm winters,” Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, an earth scientist, told BBC News. He is among those who believe that the Kashmir valley is facing the “brunt” of climate change.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2024