Brown Himalayas

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I visited Kashmir in 2021, just after Christmas. We went to Srinagar first and then to Sonamarg. There were many things that I loved about Kashmir, but the best was the snow. There was some snow in Srinagar and a lot of it in Sonamarg. My brother and I made snowmen and threw snowballs at each other. Sonamarg was a snowy wonderland and I was so sad when it was time for us to leave.

This winter, I read the news that the Kashmir valley got no snow until late January. The Himalayas had turned brown! The temperature in Kashmir valley was higher than in Delhi! Not just Kashmir, all the Himalayan regions in India faced a similar sitation. In Himachal Pradesh, the Kangra valley is experiencing drought after 17 years. Snow is missing from the Dhauladhar mountain range and in Shimla. In Uttarakhand, Mussoorie and Auli didn’t have any snow.

Experts say the lack of snowfall is due to  the prevalence of El Niño and other meteorological conditions. According to a study titled ‘Western Disturbances: A Review’, published in the International Journal of Geophysics in April 2015, snowfall in December, January and February results in accumulation of snow on the mountains, which is important for India’s water resources.

Why is this happening? The Himalayas have been over-exploited. We have built too many roads and other infrastructure projects in the region. Development of tourism has been at the expense of the environment. Is it too late to fix the problems that we humans have created?

Finally, the Indian side of the Himalayas got snow in late January!

Photo credit: Live Mint


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