Jammu and Kashmir is heading towards a severe water crisis due to an alarming precipitation deficit.
While an active Western Disturbance is expected to bring rain and snow on February 20, experts warn that this will not be sufficient to reverse the ongoing trend of declining winter precipitation.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah said J&K is staring at a water crisis this year.
“It’s not a recent phenomenon, actually it’s been building up for a few years now. While the government will have to adopt a more proactive approach for water management & conservation, it can’t just be a government centric approach. All of us residents of J&K will have to change the way we take water for granted,” Abdullah said in a post on X.
” I’ll be reviewing the measures the Jal Shakti (PHE) Dept intends to take to deal with the developing crisis & I’ll also be talking to the people of J&K over the next few months about what we can do collectively,” he added
Earlier, Kashmir’s independent weather analyst Faizan Arif has raised serious concerns over the crisis, emphasizing that the current precipitation deficit stands at over 80%.
“Over the past four years, I have closely monitored and highlighted this situation, and the trend is clear: winter precipitation is decreasing, and we are now in the sixth straight year of this decline. This is a catastrophic situation. How will our rivers survive if glaciers don’t receive the snowfall they need?,” Faizan said.
Meteorological Department Srinagar Mukhtar Ahmad said there are chances of water scarcity as the precipitation this winter was very less during the winter season.
Director Meteorological Department Srinagar Mukhtar Ahmad said that there are chances of water scarcity as the precipitation this winter was very less during the winter season.
“There is no snow on the mountains and glaciers have dried up is a matter of concern”, he said.
The temperatures in the month of January and February were unusual that have dried up the springs of Kashmir valley.
However, Ahmed is hopeful of that with the approaching Western Disturbance chances of good rainfall fall and snow are there.
Kashmir’s ongoing dry spell has led to drying of water bodies, frequent forest fires, and an deteriorating drinking water crisis across the region. The famous Achabal Mughal Garden in South Kashmir’s has completely dried up and according to locals it is for the first time in history that such thing has happened.
River Jhelum, the lifeline of Kashmir, is witnessing one of its all-time lowest water levels.
The inadequate snowfall forced authorities to postpone the Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg, originally set to begin on February 22.
“We must adapt to climate change, devise strategies to mitigate its impact, and prepare for the future. The leadership must urgently convene and treat this developing crisis with the seriousness it deserves,” Faizan added.
