Snow-Capped Serenity! Kashmir's Higher Reaches Witness Winter’s Arrival
Winter's entry has been early in Kashmir with light to moderate snowfall in the higher regions. Famous resorts such as Gulmarg and Sonamarg are already carpeted in pristine white, making it awesome for visitors coming all around. This has marked the start of Kashmir's high-profile winter, slowly taking a toll on the mobility of the local people amid life making things difficult outdoors.
In contrast to tourists, locals very well acquainted with heavy snowfalls have already begun to brace themselves against natural calamity. Farmers wail over the fate of crops affected due to sudden unforeseen natural calamities. The traders in Srinagar, on the other hand, view the silver lining in this natural disaster-the tourist season being revived and the local economy during the season expected to flourish.
Some of them have mixed feelings regarding the white blanket falling early in the year. One of the residents of Gulmarg, Aijaz Ahmad, says, "Beautiful for sure, but expensive heating and blocked roads are part of it.
"Poor weather across the valley has contributed significantly to the drop in temperature, according to meteorological officials, who also warned against possible road closures due to icy conditions. Accessibility concerns in some of the most remote areas have also escalated because depend on mountain passes that are often closed during heavy-weather storms".
As Kashmir promises to metamorphose into a winter wonderland, the question that remains is: is all this beauty going to be worth the trouble it creates for the people living here?
