Month: July 2012

Strengthening the belief of global warming, high altitude hills in surroundings of Manali are losing their snow cover at unusual high temperature and worse thing is that one can climb up to 15,000 feet even with a single shirt. Yes this is impact of global warming, claim scientists. Snow has completely disappeared from 13,050 feet high Rohtang pass and tourists are enjoying climbing here without proper woollens. Rohtang had received over 50 feet snow during winter months and snow accumulation here was about 35 feet in first week of May when snow from Manali-Rohtang highway was cleared. According to local trekkers and guides, despite heavy snowfall in this winter, snow cover on all mountains including Deo Tibba, Hanuman Tibba and Seven Sister peaks is very thin due to fast melting of snow. Mountainous regions of Lahaul-Spiti district, popularly known as cold deserts, are warmer than Shimla, Nahan (Sirmaur) and many other low altitude regions. In July, the average maximum temperature here is more than 25 degrees Celsius. Residents of Lahaul-Spiti are wearing summer collections similar to Punjab. Snow has almost disappeared from the adjoining peaks which otherwise used to work as coolant for the valley. “There are no sign of snow on Rohtang pass and it has melted away even on the higher mountains,” Dhani Thakur, trekker and owner of Himalyan Eagle Adventures, said who has been scaling the Himalayan mountains for last 15 years. He adds, “Certainly the mountains had received heavy snowfall in winters but the snow accumulation is decreasing very fast.” According to sources, most of the people in Manali and other hilly areas of Himachal are now going for AC cars which was considered a stupid thing some years back. Residents are now purchasing air conditioners for their homes. However the nights are cool in inhabited