Snowless winters in Kashmir have made it to top news channels, newspapers, and social media platforms. It’s very sad news for the whole nation and Kashmir in particular, because winter tourism is an important part of Kashmir tourism. This article tries to explain in detail what led to a snowless winter in Kashmir.
Before I begin, it’s important to mention that snowfall in Kashmir is not an outcome of any regional factor but occurs because of global factors. Subtropical westerly jet streams move in the south direction in winter. These jet streams are accompanied by low-pressure depressions from the Mediterranean Sea. This is what we call Western disturbances.
A deficiency of these Western disturbances leads to a decrease in rain and snowfall. Secondly, the subtropical westerly jet stream should ideally travel in the south direction, but now it has migrated towards the north of the Himalayas. All this is linked to global warming-induced climate change. As a result, subtropical westerly jet streams are mending a lot, leading to low rain and snowfall in the valley.
It’s a matter of concern for all of us, but who is responsible? Are we responsible?. No, we are least responsible in this regard. To understand any geographical phenomenon it’s necessary to see Earth as one planet. The main responsibility in this regard is that of the Western Hemisphere. Their carbon footprint is much greater than ours. It’s a matter of concern for all of humanity now because, with the rise of global warming and climate change, such things are destined to happen and will keep increasing. It’s high time for us to understand mitigation with climate change, and we as Indians need to put forward a lifestyle approach for the environment.
The writer, a resident of Bomai Sopore is an author of two books and a newspaper columnist. He can be reached at arbaz193201@gmail.Com
