Kashmir has been witnessing snowless ‘Chillai Kalan’ (40 days of harshest winter period) from past many years and according to experts if such a trend continues in future also it will have serious ramifications. Scientists say the peculiar weather pattern in the Valley is due to climate change, which is hitting almost all sectors in the region.“The prevailing dry weather in January is a cause of concern. Last year also there was no major snowfall in the month of January. Normally there is 56 millimeter of precipitation in January, enough for a good snowfall, but like previous year, this year too January remained dry. Climate change is there and it is a global phenomenon,” Director Meteorological Department Sonam Lotus told CNS.He said that Kashmir witnessed a heavy snowfall in 1986 while in 2007, 2015 and this year (2016) dry weather in January prevailed. “There is a major shift in weather phenomena in Kashmir Valley. We have getting more snowfall in the month of February and March now. Earlier it used to be in the month of January. The volume of rainfall has considerably increased,” Lotus said adding that the impact of climate change has been forcing to witness Kashmir
extreme weather conditions such as excessive rain, wintry summer, rising winter temperature, increasing hailstorms and cloudbursts.Renowned scientist and head of the Earth Sciences Department at Kashmir University Shakil Romshoo explains that certain international studies on climate change have maintained that by the end of this century there will be a decrease of 30 to 70 per cent of snowfall in Kashmir. “Checking pollution level, more and more afforestation and less use of fossil fuels can save us from imminent disaster,” Romshoo told CNS.
He however added that the indicators of climate change in Kashmir Valley are loud and clear. “Climate change has not happened overnight, but it had started much earlier. Kashmir is seeing winters getting prolonged with less snowfalls while the average minimum and maximum temperatures are showing statistically significant increasing trends for winter months and the precipitation is showing decreasing trends,” he said adding that the 50-year data indicates that the temperatures both maximum and minimum have increased. (CNS)