Shimla debates why it is losing its snowfall, year after year

Pratibha Chauhan in Shimla

GONE are the days when a huge snowman would adorn our compound for almost two months in the winter. This winter we haven’t had enough snow to even make a mini snowman, a trend which has almost become a routine in recent years, rue most Shimlaites used to heavy snowfall.

This is a common reaction from most old-timers who feel the excessive urbanization and haphazard growth have taken a toll on Shimla’s beautiful winters: when the town donned a white mantle during the winter months. Climate change and global warming are being attributed as the reasons for this worrisome trend. But scientists and environmentalists concur that localized manmade tinkering has also contributed largely to less snow. 

Shimla getting two to three feet of snow in one go was very normal during winters. “During one of the heaviest snowfalls in 1990-91, people living on the ground floor in Lakkar Bazaar area got trapped inside as they could not open their doors due to a very heavy snowfall,” recalls Shakti Singh Chandel, retired bureaucrat who was then posted as commissioner, Shimla Municipal Corporation. He says hundreds of vehicles were deployed to clear the snow so that people could step out and stranded tourists rescued. 

Dr SS Samant, in-charge , GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development at Mohal in Kullu, says factors like urbanization, beyond carrying capacity, vehicular pollution and deforestation on account of development activities like power projects, road construction have resulted in relative increase in temperature and much less snowfall.

Scientists point out that the emission of green house gases results in increase of temperature which can be mitigated only through afforestation. “The plants will not just cough up the carbon dioxide during photosynthesis but will enhance moisture, which will ultimately cause rainfall and precipitation,” says Dr Samant.

He warns that unless steps are not taken to mitigate the effects of unregulated urbanization beyond carrying capacity and proper implementation of the management plans, there will certainly be cause for concern. “Reduced snowfall and erratic rains are global phenomena on account of climatic changes. Enhancing the forest cover is one of the surest ways of arresting the adverse impact of these changes.” Samant says most tourist towns of Himachal such as Shimla and Manali have exceeded their carrying capacity and vehicular emissions are resulting in increase in temperatures and reduced snowfall in winters.

Ditto is from Manmohan Singh, director of the local Meteorological Centre. “There is increase in temperature in Shimla by almost one degree Celsius over the last 100 years which is a pointer towards the fact that climatic changes are taking place,” he says. This winter there has been very little snow on only two occasions, once in January and last week, totaling to a mere 7 cm so far. He says both micro and macro reasons can be attributed for this. Unregulated urbanization is one of them. 

The three decade snow data available with the local Meteorological Centre indicates that Shimla received the highest snowfall in 1989-90 when it recorded 262.2 cm followed by 239.6 cm in the very next winter in 1990-91. “It was the winter of 1989-90 when the town had one of the heaviest snowfalls. I distinctly remember walking around 8 km from my house in Chotta Shimla to the university to take my exam. It was so much fun. But now that kind of adventure is missing,” says Anish Sharma, a teacher. He says children are not even familiar with sledge as there is no snow to play around. 

The data indicates that in 2000-01 there was just 9.9 cm of snow while in 2005-06 the town had now snowfall at all. “This winter we have had just 7 cm of snowfall due to two mild falls. Now it remains to be seen whether this is all the snow that we are getting this winter,” says Manmohan Singh. In 2009-10 also there was practically now snow with the town getting barely 1.8 cm snow.

Dr SS Randhawa, Scientists in the HP State Council for Science, Technology and Environment says the snowfall pattern has been erratic. He says scientists are studying the aspect.