For the first time in history, the usually present in Uttarakhand’s Om Parvat, wasn’t visible in the mountain!! As a result, It has left tourists & visitors puzzled & shocked.
At 5900 meters, Om Parvat is without no snow for first time. This is result of climate change & reduced snowfall while “development” like road widening, tourism & mining have added fuel to fire. Nature is giving many warnings but no one has time/patience to listen!#Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/9ZVCE4Cu64
— Anoop Nautiyal (@Anoopnautiyal1) August 26, 2024
After witnessing the snowless mountain, many visitors & locals expressed disappointment with this phenomena, with visitor saying ‘It was quite disheartening to see Om Parvat, known for its constant snow, completely bare when I visited on August 16.’
Resident of Gunji village, while sharing photos of the snowless Om Parvat said ‘The hill, shaped like ‘Om,’ was barely recognizable without its snow.’
Dhan Singh Bisht, who manages the base camp for the Adi Kailash yatra in Dharchula, reported, “In my 22 years with Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, I have never seen Om Parvat without snow. This year, it melted entirely, whereas the annual melting rate used to be 95-99 percent.”
But, following the snowfall on Monday night, snow has now returned to Om Parvat. Bisht, with 20 years of experience organizing the Kailash-Mansarowar and Adi Kailash yatras, noted that district administration officials in Pithoragarh, surprised by viral images of the snowless hill, were relieved to see the snow return.
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What Experts Say?
Commenting on Snow lessness of Om Parvat, experts gave varied opinions on this phenomena. Director of GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment Sunil Nautiyal attributed the snow loss to rising temperatures in the Himalayan eco-sensitive zones, which is largely driven by increased vehicle emissions and global warming.
Talking about the environmental factors, Nautiyal said ‘To address this, we need to assess the carrying capacity of sensitive high Himalayan areas and consider the impact of forest fires, which also contribute to damage’.
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