WHILE the Srinagar city hasn’t been completely snow-free this winter, the flakes have been very few and far between. And that trend doesn’t look to end any time soon.
The less precipitation signals to the climate change that has been occurring over the decades. The climate change impact is straightforward. Global temperatures are rising, and warmer weather means less snow.
Apart from climatic changes, the living style in Srinagar city has also changed in the last few decades. We ask people what they think about the winter season in 2023.
In our childhood, the winters were very harsh and there was way less electricity compared to contemporary times. Houses in Srinagar weren’t made of concrete and in poor localities houses had thatched roofs. We would receive a good amount of snow in the city as well. People would remove snow from their rooftops on their own. Now, all that has changed. Snowfall has reduced drastically so have people’s habits. People were comparatively poor and there was a huge infrastructure deficit. A lot of things have changed but those times were different. Good Old Days!
Mohammad Amin
Retd. Govt Employee
Some decades back, the clothing was traditional .In our times, the clothing has become complicated and western. Earlier, life was simple and people would not get out of their comfort zone. Nowadays, Life is fast and people tend to enjoy the arrival of the new season and wait for the snowfall. People no more fear the chilling cold, instead they enjoy their lives. Most of the people own vehicles, it is easier for them to commute and life goes on. Life is the same in summers as well as winters.
Shadab Abbas
Businessman
Some city dwellers have given up the use of ‘Kangri’ and they no longer use the traditional Kashmiri firepot in their households.
When I was very young, our family people gave up the use of Kangri. They had apprehensions about my safety and the things around. However, it is impossible to stay warm without resorting to other advanced mechanisms to keep yourself warm in Kashmir. But I am still fascinated by Kangris.
Badr-u-Nissa Bhat
Ph.D. Scholar, Kashmir University.
First and foremost our construction style has completely changed.From houses of mud and timber, we have turned to concrete, because of which we feel much cold in winters. It resulted in orthopedic health conditions, especially among the old people.
Secondly, eating habits have also changed. We would sip ‘kehwa’ and consume other energetic and dried vegetables. We have shifted from high protein energetic diets to ordinary foods. People consume junk food a lot.
The clothing pattern has also changed. Now, more than a cloth Pheran has become a fashion statement. People mostly wear jeans, which does not help us in keeping ourselves warm. Our furnishing style has also changed. Our furnishing trends do not suit the winter conditions.
Ilyas Rizvi
Oral Historian
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