Fresh snowfall cheers farmers in Jammu and Kashmir
By ANISunday, January 31, 2010
SRINAGAR - Fresh snowfall has brought smiles on the faces of farmers in Jammu and Kashmir.
Around two inches of snow fell in Srinagar, while the upper reaches were buried in nearly one foot of snow.
For the farmers here, a winter without snow means they will face extremely dry conditions in spring.
“The soil is now recharged, it is moist. We’ve had rain and snow now and the soil will remain moist. When the crops are planted in February and March, the soil will be good,” said Manzoor Ahmed, a horticulture officer.
Last year, fruit-growers incurred losses due to a lack of snowfall.
Climate experts say the warmer winters are due to global warming.
Temperatures in Kashmir have risen by over a degree Celsius and are expected to continue rising at .05 degrees Celsius each year, according to the Indian Meteorological Agency. (ANI)
