First snowfall of the season advancing from December to mid November during last 3-5 years and now from mid November to mid October gives people of Kashmir a feeling that it is almost winter in autumn and when it is winter in autumn both the government and the people have to face new challenges to fight the chill of winter almost two months before it’s actual date of commencement. While the government has to take stock of power availability, the readiness of the snow clearance operations demanding availability of sufficient no of snow clearance machines and availability of charcoal for operating traditional Kashmiri heaters locally called “Bukharis” and supply of gas heaters in government offices, the people have to stock essentials of daily use , firewood for heating up rooms having hollow base over a slab of stones locally called “hamams”, electric heating appliances and dried vegetables. Usually people would collect golden leaves falling from chinars in Chinar gardens and apple trees in apple orchards to use them for heating up traditional fire pots called “ Kangris” during the chilly winter months in valley but people would most probably miss the opportunities of collecting golden leaves from chinar gardens and apple orchards to use them for heating up “Kangris” during winter months . What matters the most is the fact that winter advancing to autumn months could also force government to advance the timing of annual examinations usually commencing after mid October and concluding even after December end. As such rescheduling the timing of annual examinations for Kashmir division could be big challenges for both the J&K Board of School Education and Universities in valley if snowing is witnessed in autumn months in next 2-3 consecutive years one after the other in Kashmir.
By all standards of understandabilities winter advancing to autumn by two months would mean that winter related expenses of people be it power tariff or charcoal, travel expenses or use of heating appliances will get doubled for one and all. So winter preparedness has thrown up new challenges for both the government and the people and as such priorities for winter preparedness have to be redefined by both the government and the people.
Snowfalls if witnessed in autumn months in next two years one after the other could also force people leaving valley for Jammu and Delhi to evade bone chilling cold of winter to advance their timing for leaving valley from December to October. Such a change in the timing of winter seasons would mean that people leaving valley for Jammu & Delhi will have to spend winter two more months of winter outside Kashmir. By all standards of understandabilities winter advancing to autumn by two months would mean that winter related expenses of people be it power tariff or charcoal, travel expenses or use of heating appliances will get doubled for one and all. So winter preparedness has thrown up new challenges for both the government and the people and as such priorities for winter preparedness have to be redefined by both the government and the people.
