Often, the hill stations of North India stay nice from March to the tip of Could. Nevertheless, these months have alternated between extreme chilly and scorching warmth this yr. In 2024, the spring season was primarily misplaced between winter and summer time. The variety of vacationers and locals in Kashmir has far exceeded its capability. The rising variety of concrete buildings to accommodate them and the large crowd of automobiles have disrupted nature, leading to variable climate circumstances.
Kashmir, which has at all times been a best choice for vacationers, is now disappointing them as a result of unsure climate circumstances. March and April, which mark the start of spring, had surprising snowfall, rain, and extreme chilly till the third week of April. All of a sudden, it grew to become scorching scorching with temperatures 5-7 levels above regular. April was the coldest month within the final 20 years, and now Could is the most well liked month within the final 35 years.
In recent times, every time temperatures within the plains have soared and there was no respite from the scorching solar, hundreds of thousands of vacationers have flocked to the hill stations of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. This has led to large visitors jams and vacationer footfall far past the capability of those ecologically delicate areas. Specialists say this may irreversibly harm the delicate ecosystem of those areas. The identical is occurring with Kashmir, the place well-known hill stations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonmarg, and plenty of different locations are overcrowded. The fast building of lodges, huts, and resorts is resulting in the felling of inexperienced timber for brand spanking new developments. Because of this, the scorching warmth in Kashmir has made life depressing.
The Director of the Kashmir Meteorology Division stated there shall be no respite from the heatwave in Jammu and Kashmir for at the very least the following 15 days. He additional acknowledged that the area is going through variable climate, with sudden warmth and heavy rains, and these circumstances will improve. He famous that people must adapt to this variability, which is basically as a result of large-scale urbanization.
Mukhtar Ahmed, Director of the Kashmir Meteorology Division, stated that the temperature in Jammu and Kashmir has been dry for the previous few weeks, and the warmth is constantly rising. Even within the hilly areas, the mercury has risen to 30 levels Celsius. Within the hilly areas of Jammu, temperatures are round 35 levels, and within the plains of Jammu, they’ve reached 43 levels. The warmth is predicted to proceed within the coming days. He added, “In fact, the uncontrolled temperature of the Earth is rising globally, and that is true for Jammu and Kashmir as nicely. Speedy urbanization is contributing to increased daytime temperatures. Our infrastructure, urbanization, large transportation, and elevated manufacturing facility actions all impression the temperature. Infrastructure improvement at vacationer spots, and elevated tourism lately, additionally contribute to rising temperatures.”
The variety of vacationers in Kashmir has elevated by 200 p.c within the final 5 years. COVID-19 restrictions have modified individuals’s mindsets, making them extra prepared to spend cash on home journey. They’re prioritizing home journey over worldwide journey. Air journey to Kashmir is costlier than to Delhi-Dubai, but individuals select Kashmir. Vacationers now spend giant quantities on home journey, a pattern not seen earlier, they usually go to Kashmir even within the low season.
Final yr, Jammu and Kashmir obtained the very best variety of vacationers since independence, with 21.1 million vacationers, together with pilgrims. There was a 700 p.c improve in overseas vacationers within the valley. In 2024, greater than 1.1 million vacationers have reached Kashmir to this point, excluding pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi. Eight extra flights are working in comparison with final yr, with a mean of 18,000 vacationers arriving in Kashmir day by day, and greater than 5,000 arriving by street. In line with out there information, Kashmir has 100 p.c occupancy till July. The sharp rise in tourism isn’t restricted to Kashmir alone. Vacationer locations in North India like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Shimla, Manali, Mussoorie, Nainital, and Dalhousie are additionally filled with vacationers.
The rising rush from the plains to the mountains has additional aggravated environmental issues, similar to harm to the delicate hill ecosystem, plastic air pollution, air air pollution, unpredictable visitors jams, and the development of recent concrete buildings to host vacationers. Many within the tourism business are involved about these modifications and wish Kashmir to turn into a sustainable vacationer vacation spot for future generations. They warn that if the present pattern continues unchecked, it should destroy the glory of Kashmir.
Manzoor Pakhtoon, Common Secretary of the Kashmir Houseboat Affiliation, stated, “Kashmir is a well-known place in summers. It’s scorching throughout the day, however not unbearably so. Our virgin locations are crowded with vacationers. We should always maintain them. Whether or not it’s the authorities or the widespread man, we should always see how we will make it a sustainable place and save our wetlands and glaciers.”
Pakhtoon added, “In the case of the setting, it’s not nearly tourism. We additionally reside right here and have to take excellent care of our forests and mountains. A stress group needs to be fashioned to guard the setting and our future. New locations needs to be constructed with an eco-friendly strategy, not as concrete jungles. That is just the start. If we take care immediately, possibly issues can enhance.”
These days, vacationers visiting Kashmir already really feel the change in its local weather and say they didn’t count on such warmth in hill stations like Kashmir. Many evaluate it with their earlier visits and notice important modifications. They report heavy visitors jams and widespread air pollution as causes for the change.
A vacationer, Sharda Jain from Gwalior, stated, “We got here to Kashmir for the chilly and thought the climate could be nice, however we encountered scorching warmth. International warming and a variety of vacationer visitors may very well be causes.”
A vacationer from Mumbai, Ashok, stated, “Globalization can be having a big impression. Many lodges are being constructed, affecting the setting. Nature is getting destroyed. It’s everybody’s accountability, whether or not widespread individuals or the federal government, to work for a greater future.”
Ashok’s daughter, Aayushi, added, “I visited Kashmir in 2006. The Kashmir I noticed then isn’t the identical as immediately. There may be far more inhabitants, air pollution, and crowding. The climate was chilly then, however now it’s scorching.”
A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Local weather Change means that sudden floods, cloudbursts, and intense rains will turn into extra seemingly in mountainous areas. The report states that rising temperatures and melting glaciers will severely impression plant and animal species already battling heatwaves, droughts, forest fires, and floods. It additional states that local weather change will trigger temperatures to rise in all areas within the coming a long time, particularly in South Asia. Heatwaves will improve, the new season will turn into longer, and the chilly season shorter.
Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the Kashmir Meteorology Division, stated, “This temperature improve is what we name variable local weather. It’s going to improve over time. For each 1-degree improve in temperature, the moisture-holding capability of the air will increase by round 7 p.c. It will end in sudden heavy rains and extended dry climate. We have to be ready for this variability.”
A local weather scientist from Kashmir College stated that the present temperatures align with predictions made about local weather change impacts. What India is experiencing is because of the warming of the Earth. He warned that the worst is but to return, saying, “Because the Earth will get hotter, we are going to see extra excessive warmth circumstances. This yr, we now have seen hotter climate than ever earlier than. The type of warmth we noticed in April-Could was anticipated in June-July.”
Local weather consultants say that the ever-increasing inflow of vacationers to the mountains of North India has made the present state of affairs very troublesome. A protracted-term technique is urgently wanted to mitigate the upcoming disasters of local weather change and over-tourism.
