The snow cover is steadily declining in Himachal Pradesh. The total snowfall area in the four river basins of Chenab, Beas, Ravi and Satluj reduced to 17,437.4 square kilometres in 2023-24.
It was 12.72 per cent lower than in the winter of 2022-23, noted a report of Himachal Pradesh State Centre on Climate Change (SCCC).
Environmentalists term it as `Snow Drought’.
The report states that the findings are based on mapping of the four river basins using Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) satellite data.
In the winter of 2018-19, the snow cover was 20,210 square kilometres, in 2019-2020, the highest snow cover of 23,542 sq km was recorded, and it dropped to 19,183 sq km in 2020-21. In 2021-22, it rose to 23,244 sq km.
In the winter of 2022-23, a total of 19,979 square kilometres of area across the four river basins was covered by snow. The Satluj basin recorded the highest snow cover at 8,868 sq km, followed by Chenab at 7,049.67 sq km, Beas at 2,174 sq km and Ravi at 1,886 sq km.
The snow cover along the basins reduced to 17,437.4 square kilometres in 2023-24. While most river basins showed a negative snow cover trend from October to January in 2022-23, the basins registered recovery between February and April, indicating comparatively higher snowfall during the latter part of the winter.
The report further states that the decline in snow cover points towards the impacts of climate change. "Rising winter temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events, are all effects of climate change, may be responsible for this decline," it also states.
The report adds that integrated climate adaptation measures and sustained monitoring were crucial to mitigate long-term impacts on agriculture, hydrology and biodiversity in the Himalayan region.
In the past two decades, a steep decline in average snowfall in Shimla and Manali was recorded. Neither of the tourists’ destinations has received any snowfall so far this winter.
Also, the higher reaches of Kullu mostly have no snow, as earlier.
There was no significant snowfall this season in the high-altitude regions of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. Environmentalists link the trend to rising greenhouse gas emissions, unsustainable development and mushrooming of high-energy-consuming industries.
Environmentalist Guman Singh, coordinator of the Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, said that this phenomenon is now known as `Snow Drought’ and the main reason is the impact of climate change and global warming.
"The western disturbances is having a very weak pressure from the Mediterranean Sea, thus they are unable to cross the Hindukush mountain ranges. Four to five times, there was wind pressure, but it could not cross the mountain ranges. Earlier, snowfall would begin in November and last till March. But for the last few years, the snowfall has been from January and sometimes prevails until April,’’ he said.
"Mining, large-scale cutting of trees for urban projects like road widening and hydel projects are causing irreparable environmental damage,” he added.
Meanwhile, the cold wave is set to intensify in the next few days, as the Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a yellow warning for several districts till January 20.
Yellow warning for cold wave conditions was issued for Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Mandi districts for January 19 and 20.
As the cold wave conditions are likely to prevail at isolated places in these districts, the IMD issued a yellow weather warning for heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of the state on January 23.
It stated that two western disturbances in quick succession are very likely to affect northwest India from January 19 to January 21.
These systems are expected to trigger one or two spells of heavy rain and snowfall at isolated places in the higher hills, particularly on January 23.