A severe cold wave has gripped Jammu and Kashmir, driving temperatures to multi-year lows well below freezing. The picturesque Dal Lake in Srinagar has completely frozen, its surface resembling a giant mirror under the pale winter sun. Other reservoirs across the Union Territory mirror this icy transformation.
Data from weather stations paints a grim picture: Srinagar at minus 7.2 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam at minus 11.5 degrees, and Kokernag barely scraping minus 5 degrees. This marks the onset of ‘Chillai-Kalan,’ the harshest phase of Kashmir’s winter lasting till late January.
The freeze brings both beauty and peril. While the snow-capped vistas draw shutterbugs, icy roads claim vehicles daily. Power outages plague homes as frozen transformers fail. Health officials report spikes in respiratory issues and frostbite cases, prompting warnings for the elderly and children.
In a silver lining, frozen water bodies aid traditional winter fishing, where locals cut holes to harvest ice-bound fish. Shikara walas pivot to selling hot chai and pakoras on the lake’s edge. Disaster management teams monitor landslide-prone zones vigilantly. As the cold wave shows no signs of abating, Jammu and Kashmir embodies winter’s raw power, reminding all of nature’s unyielding grip.