The devastating loss of a family in Srinagar’s Pandrethan area last Sunday is a stark reminder of the harsh realities faced by residents of Kashmir during the unforgiving winter months. Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, wife and three grandchildren died of suffocation from the heat when they were sleeping in their rented accommodation. The suspected cause: an electric blower in their rented room, which likely depleted the room’s oxygen levels, causing them to suffocate in their sleep. This is not an isolated incident, as there have been many of these before. Though the incidents recur every year, they don’t receive the attention they deserve. Pandrethan tragedy should end this apathy. It is a heartbreaking story of the lengths to which families in Kashmir go to protect themselves from the biting cold.
Families need safe heating alternatives and to this end both the government and the civil society should help create a wider awareness. Authorities must prioritize improving the safety and affordability of heating solutions, particularly for vulnerable families living in poorly ventilated homes. Poverty, lack of awareness, and the unavailability of safer, alternative heating solutions leave families vulnerable.
This year winter wrapped Kashmir in an icy grip, with night temperatures dropping to staggering lows. Srinagar, the summer capital, shivered at upwards of -5 degrees Celsius for close to a fortnight in December. On December 21, temperature plummeted to -8.5 degree Celsius, marking the coldest night of the season in the city since 1974. Amid this bone-chilling cold, an intermittent power supply caused more inconvenience to the residents.
That said, while winter remains a harsh reality in the Valley, we have made it harsher by building homes which are largely incompatible with winters. This includes even the affluent section of the population. While traditional homes with thick mud walls and small windows retained heat effectively, modern brick-and-mortar constructions with thin walls and large single-glazed windows fall short, leaving families heavily reliant on unsafe heating methods. Recent research at the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) has highlighted the need for constructing houses that stay warm in winter. Some practical solutions suggested included advanced insulation, double-glazed windows, and proper building orientation to enhance thermal comfort in Valley’s largely cold weather.
The research has called for reviving traditional techniques like Dhajji-Dewari and combining these with modern innovations. This can transform our homes into safe and warm sanctuaries during harsh winters. Other measures like wall and roof insulation, sealing of gaps, can minimize reliance on heating devices. It is time that people are persuaded to build winter-friendly houses through a sustained awareness campaign. We also need public education campaigns to help people understand the risks of using heating appliances without proper ventilation and to encourage the use of safer alternatives.
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