Increased vehicular traffic adding to rise in temperatures in higher Himalayan region
Increased vehicular traffic adding to rise in temperatures in higher Himalayan region
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Jan 22
Locals in the high Himalayan valleys of Pithoragarh district believe that the unprecedented rush of pilgrims and tourists in the area on their vehicles have added to the pollution and resultant high temperatures in the region.
The people in the higher Himalayan region are already baffled by the absence of rain and snow during the current winter season for the past three months as ‘Om Parvat’, ‘Panchachuli’ and Munsiyari town are bereft of snow this year.
” Earlier, when the pilgrims and tourists used to trek, the peaks of ‘Panchachuli’, ‘Adi Kailash’ and ‘Om Parvat’ used to be full of snow, but after the flow of tourists increased in the name of development, the peaks have gone snow less despite peak of winter has passed on silently this month,” said Laxmi Gunjiyal, Sarpanch of Gunji village of Vyans valley where ‘Adi Kailash’ and ‘Om Parvat’ are located
The Gunji sarpanch said that the tourists should be instructed to trek to ‘Om Parvat’ view point in place of going there by vehicles as thousands of vehicles reached there last year at the height of 17000 feet resulting into increase of temperature. “Almost all 36526 tourists visited ‘Adi Kailash’ and ‘Om Parvat’ last year reaching 22000 feet high religious spot by vehicles using fossil fuel resulting into heating the cold Himalayan region,” claimed the Gunji Sarpanch.
The garbage and dirt, spread by these tourists in high Himalayan region is adding to the increasing temperature in that sensitive region. “We want the people should reach high Himalayan with religious aim as pilgrims instead of as tourists as most of the visitors do,” said the Gunji sarpanch.
In Munsiyari, another place to view ‘Panchchuli’ mountains at a height of 2200 meters, the snowfall has not occured till date this winter. “It is after 26 years, we are seeing such climate in Munsiyari, as in the year 1999, the month of January saw no snowfall in and around the town,” said Raju Rawat, a resident of Munsiyari town
According to Rawat, traditionally the month of January witnessed an average of two snowfalls almost every winter. “In the year 2025, it was snowfall, on January 12 and 16, that resulted into snow clad peaks around the town attracting the tourists ,” said Rawat.
