DEHRADUN: Auli, Uttarakhand’s celebrated winter destination, has taken a major step towards reviving its skiing facilities, with its long-idle artificial snow-making system restored and successfully tested after years of neglect.
Auli’s artificial snow system, installed for Rs 6.5 crore, has remained largely idle for more than 15 years, sources said. It stopped working a few years after installation.
European experts installed 24 snow guns between 2009 and 2011—20 fixed and four mobile—and built a lake. After an initial trial, the equipment was rarely used. Several skiing events were postponed over inadequate snowfall; a working system might have helped.
A 20-day restoration drive involving the Uttarakhand Tourism Department, the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) and the Uttarakhand Winter Games Association has brought the system back into working condition.
Teams have also prepared the water-supply infrastructure required to produce artificial snow. The next step depends on the weather. Officials are waiting for temperatures to fall below freezing before starting systematic snow production.
The plan is to begin after December 20 and lay artificial snow on the Nanda Devi skiing slope, giving the resort a potential alternative when natural snowfall is delayed or insufficient.
Tourism department secretary Dhiraj Singh Garbyal said officials were assessing the machines and working with local residents and other organisations to resolve operational issues. “We are examining the present condition of the machines. Local people are helping us, along with GMVN and the skiing association,” Garbyal said.
Auli’s skiing facilities have often been affected by unpredictable snowfall. The international competition proposed for 2018 had to be postponed because there was not enough snow.
Officials believe that dependable artificial snow-making could help reduce that uncertainty and make it easier to plan skiing activities and competitions.
The resort has a skiing slope of about 1,350 metres, and the tourism department is exploring how best to use the equipment to support winter sports there. The immediate focus is on getting the machinery operational. International expertise is also being sought.
Skiing specialists from Germany and Switzerland have recently been in Auli to assess its terrain, existing infrastructure and scope for development. Their assessment is expected to inform plans to upgrade the resort and bring its facilities closer to international standards.
Auli is regarded as one of India’s leading skiing destinations, but its dependence on natural snowfall has made the winter season difficult to predict.
Artificial snow, if produced reliably, could extend the window for skiing and provide greater certainty for visitors, athletes and event organisers.
The revival of the machines marks a fresh attempt to turn Auli into a more structured winter sports destination, rather than one whose skiing season depends entirely on the weather.
Officials hope the system’s successful trial will translate into sustained operations once conditions are suitable.
