As Kashmir's Tourist Spots Run Dry On Snow, Visitors Find Some Relief In Sinthan Top
Jammu and Kashmir is battling an unprecedented crisis. The state that is used to welcoming thousands of tourists from across the country during this time of the year to enjoy the snowfall?there, is seeing them return, disappointed and disheartened.
That is because unlike in previous years, this winter most parts of the valley have received little to no snowfall.
Cold wave, but no snowfall in Kashmir
Kashmir is going through what is being described as dry cold, where the temperature is freezing, but with no snowfall.
The 40-day-long period of harsh winter cold known as the ¡®Chillai Kalan¡¯ started on December 21 and ended on January 30. So far, there has been no snowfall in Kashmir during the Chillai Kalan.
No snow for skiing in Gulmarg
This has left some of the most sought-after tourist spots in Kashmir, including the popular ski resort of Gulmarg, one of the highest in the world, without any snow.
Officials said scores of tourists have returned home from Kashmir dejected without getting a feel of snow. A large number of tourists, who arrived here around 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.
Tourist find snowfall in Sinthan Top
However, the only silver lining is the snow at Sinthan Top which has retained some amount and is providing some solace to the visitors.
Sinthan Top is a snow-clad mountain peak situated at 12,500 feet connecting Anantnag in south Kashmir to Kishtwar in the Jammu region via Kokernag.
An otherwise off-beat destination, Sinthan Top is attracting tourists in hordes these days as local travel agents redirect the visitors to the spot to experience some snow.
How dry spell has affected Kashmir's tourism?
While Sinthan Top is cashing in on the windfall gains, the rest of the valley and the tourism sector are getting desperate.
"The bookings have come down 75-80 per cent. Tourists used to come here for snow especially at Gulmarg and then it used to trickle to other places including Srinagar. But, now, there is a loss at the source as Gulmarg is snow-less," President of Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), Rouf Tramboo, told PTI.
No snowfall is more bad news for Kashmir
The lack of snowfall is not just bad news for the tourism sector alone, but an existential crisis for the valley.
Water bodies in Kashmir depend on the perennial water reservoirs in higher reaches which get replenished by sufficient snowfall during winter months. The current dry spell could mean that there will be no water in the reservoirs for irrigation and other purposes.
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