No snow in Gulmarg disappoints tourists; Heartbreaking images inside

Many travellers from Kashmir came home without experiencing any snowfall. This winter's lack of snowfall in the valley will negatively impact not only tourism and associated activities but also agriculture and related industries.

A large number of tourists, who arrived here on the New Year's Eve in the hope of enjoying skiing and other snow-related activities in the Gulmarg bowl, had to go back disappointed due to the lack of snowfall. "We had booked a seven-day package from January 3 to January 9 in order to enjoy the snow in Gulmarg. But there is no snow. We had expected a white landscape all over the place but it is brown like any other region of north India," Pankaj Singh, a Delhi resident, told PTI.

People associated with the tourism industry are worried that no snowfall in Kashmir in winter would adversely affect the livelihood of thousands of people in the valley. "This winter has been a very bad advertisement for our trade. Although Kashmir is not the only place that witnessed a lack of snow, our winter tourism mostly depends on snowfall. May Allah have mercy on us," Muzaffar Ahmad, a tour operator from the city, said.

An official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said there has been a large deficit in winter snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh this year and the situation is unlikely to change before Republic Day. "There is no forecast of any active Western Disturbance or snowfall till January 25. The satellite image from the MeT centre at Leh shows a grim picture of rapid melting of glaciers, which are our priceless natural resource," Sonam Lotus, Director, IMD Leh Centre, said.

According to local farmers, with very little snowfall even in the higher reaches of Kashmir this winter, the agricultural produce in the valley can be severely affected, while there will also be problems for the residents as they will not get sufficient drinking water. "The melting of snow at the onset of summer in the higher reaches of Kashmir is the main source of water for our rivers and streams. With no snow on the mountains, people in the plains will suffer. Crops will take a hit as there will be water scarcity for irrigation," Mohammad Akbar Ganai, a farmer from Nowgam, said.