Visuals of a snow-less Gulmarg, the popular winter sports destination in Jammu and Kashmir, have gone viral this season.
Now National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has posted about it, saying he has "never seen Gulmarg so dry in winters". In the post on his official X account, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister shared two images from previous years, taken on the same day.
If it didn't snow soon, Mr Abdullah remarked, the summer was going to be "miserable".
"I've never seen Gulmarg so dry in the winter. To put this in to perspective here are a couple of photographs from previous years, both taken on the 6th of Jan. If we don't get snow soon the summer is going to be miserable. Not to mention skiers like me who can't wait to get on the slopes but there's nothing to ski on", he wrote.
I've never seen Gulmarg so dry in the winter. To put this in to perspective here are a couple of photographs from previous years, both taken on the 6th of Jan. If we don't get snow soon the summer is going to be miserable. Not to mention skiers like me who can't wait to get on… https://t.co/6Bj2umfGJq pic.twitter.com/gkhMZ49XSf
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 9, 2024Gulmarg, known for its snow-covered slopes, is a big draw for tourists and skiers from across the country. It received barely any snow this season, raising concerns over the effect of global warming on India's winters.
On January 8, news agency ANI posted a video on X in which the town appears barren and dry with only sparse patches of snow visible on the ground.
Not only Gulmarg, but Kashmir's Pahalgam along with hill states Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand also received below-average snowfall.