A vital lifeline—Zojila Pass that connects the valley of Kashmir with neighboring territory of Ladakh this year has made history by lingering open all over the month of February. The exceptional occurrence can be endorsed to an oddly easygoing winters.
The Zojila Pass can be seen as one of the most perfidious peak passes across the world that usually remains under the huge accumulated snow for months especially in the bone chilling winters. The shutting down of the vital road hangs off the union territory of Ladakh from the other regions which ultimately affects the important services and supplies.
However, in a very unprecedented record, the Zojila Pass has remained reachable even in the mid of winter in the month of February. Though, the change was seen being celebrated for its instant payback but at the same time the move has posed critical questions regarding the long term affects of this major climate change.
As the unremitting road connectivity make certain balanced run of merchandise including the supplies of medical facilities and other rations, the locals in the adjacent areas may face the unprecedented weather conditions due to the climate change.
No doubt, the tourism sector that is considered an important part of financial system of Ladakh got benefited because of the climate change but at the same time there is a need to see what implication it would have in the region in a long-run.
The unparallel weather pattern in the Himalayan ranges is warming at a distressing speed wherein the pristine glaciers are receding and the weather patterns in the regions of both Kashmir and Ladakh is increasingly inconsistent. The receded snowfall and the easygoing as well as bearable temperatures that kept back Zojila Pass open this year.
The record-contravention ease of access of Zojila Pass in the month of February highlights the dire call for sustainable expansion in the Kashmir and Ladakh regions as well. The altering climate prototype requires a reassessment of conventional engineering.
There is an immediate need for the authorities to prioritize the strategies that can cater the root causes of changing weather patterns and alleviate its impact on susceptible areas like Kashmir and Ladakh altogether.
