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Changing climate of Kashmir

FARZANA SYED. Dated: 4/23/2018 12:13:05 AM

SRINAGAR, Apr 22: April 22 marked world Earth day. The day was observed across the globe with events, seminars, conferences and gatherings organised vis-a-vis saving the mother Earth.
While as climate change has become a cause of immense concern around the globe, the environmental experts of Kashmir believe the changing climatic patterns of valley during past several years have signaled an adverse climatic fluctuation that are a result of intruding change in climate of Kashmir.
The environmentalists are of the opinion that fluctuating climate which includes above normal temperature in winter season, prolonged dry weather conditions, less snowfall or heavy rains, abrupt cloud bursts were the repercussions of change in global weather conditions.
Pertinently, this winter season Kashmir valley remained almost snowless. While as dry weather prolonged through the entire winter season, the month of March witnessed a record highest temperature of around 28 degrees Celsius in past several decades.
The environmentalists attribute the changing trends of weather conditions to impact of climate change over the state.
According to environmentalists and experts the prolonged dryness and less snowfall depicted the impact of global warming in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Prof. Shakeel Ahmad Ramshoo former HOD department of the earth Sciences University of Kashmir has conducted a number of studies vis-a-vis changing climatic patterns in Kashmir valley.
Dr. Romshoo has also studied the, melting of few prominent glaciers in the state due to extreme climatic conditions.
He says that transformation of weather was the impact of global warming and the climate change in valley.
"The entire world is under a gradual climate change and global warming. Our valley has not remained unaffected. The change in the weather conditions of Kashmir is the outcome of changing climatic conditions that have lead to either dry spells or massive precipitations," Dr. Romshoo said.
"There is a significant increase in the temperature during winter season. Moreover, winters are passing snowless. At the same time Kashmir witnesses massive rainfall at times. All these trends are a sign of impacting global warming in Kashmir," Dr. Romshoo said.
For past few years Kashmir has witnessed prolonged dry spells. In past few years there has been very less snowfall which environmentalists believe is due to warming of globe that has induced the climate change.
The experts believe that less or more precipitation or the occurrence of frequent cloudbursts was an indication of climate change.
"The weather pattern in Kashmir valley has become irregular which could induce any abrupt change at any time. We cannot say climate change is showing its signs but we are already under the impact of climate change," said Prof Ghulam Ahmad Bhat of department of Geophysics, Kashmir University.