GULMARG, IIOJK: Winter in the Himalayas region should mean blanketing snow, and for Gulmarg in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, one of the highest ski resorts across world. However, this year, the snow once taken for granted is absent. The slopes are brown and bare, a stark case of the impact of the extreme weather caused by the fast-heating planet, experts say. The lack of snow is not only hammering the ski industry in IIOJK but has a worrying impact on agriculture sector.
Adventure tour operator Mubashir Khan told the foreign media, “Seeing this snowless region, I feel like crying on daily basis.” hotel manager Hamid Masoodi said that mostly skiers have all cancelled their bookings due to snowless season. He said that Ski lifts are completely closed and rental shops are shut while a newly constructed ice rink is a pool of damp water. He maintained that most foreigners who mainly visit for skiing on snow have cancelled their visits.
IIOJK Ski Industry Melts as Temperatures Increase
Climate expert Shakil Romshoo, from Occupied Kashmir’s Islamic University of Science and Technology said that the present dry spell is an extreme weather event. He feared that the phenomena will become more intense in the future.
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Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has also recorded little rain, and temperatures are about six degrees Celsius higher than normal since autumn last year, meteorology officials maintained. In IIOJK the impact of climate change is clear as scientists warn increasing global temperatures are unleashing a cascade of extreme weather events. Beyond the collapse of the skiing industry in the region, many in the ecologically fragile areas are worried regarding impending water shortages that would have a dire impact on agriculture sector.
Snow melt frequently helps refresh the usually full rivers, but this week, officials in IIOJK warned of water shortages and the risk of forest fires, with mostly wooded areas tinder dry.
