Uttarakhand: Snow on Om Parvat disappears for the first time in history, raising concerns over climate change. (Image: X)
For the first time in history, Uttarakhand‘s Om Parvat There was no snow last week, raising concerns among visitors and local residents. Social media was filled with photos and videos shared by local residents as the snow-covered mountain looked desolate. According to an official quoted by PTI, the lack of snow now could affect tourism in the area if the situation persists.
This rare phenomenon has been attributed to scarcity of rainfall and scattered snowfall in the High Himalayan region over the past five years, which has increased vehicular pollution in the region, further contributing to global warming.
Om Parvat is located in the Vyas Valley at an altitude of about 14,000 feet. It is famous for its snow-covered peak that naturally forms a pattern resembling the Hindi symbol ‘Om’. However, experts have pointed out that in recent years, the region has seen a significant decrease in rainfall, which has directly affected the snow cover of Om Parvat.
According to a report by the TimesOfIndia, Sunil Nautiyal, director of the GB Pant National Himalayan Environment Institute in Almora, highlighted the role of rising temperatures in the ecologically sensitive areas of the Himalayas. He further highlighted that the rise in fuel-powered vehicles and forest fires have worsened the situation.
Dhan Singh Bisht, the supervisor of the Adi Kailash Yatra base camp in Dharuchula, said that in his 22 years of working there, he had never seen Om Parvat without snow. The annual snowmelt rate of Om Parvat used to be 95-99%. However, this year it melted completely.
India has been experiencing unusual weather conditions for some time now. Earlier this year, an unusual weather phenomenon linked to climate change led to the cancellation of all flights to and from Leh, Ladakh. The cancellations were due to a decrease in air density, which made the operation of flights impossible.
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