Something is seriously off with Kashmir’s spring. 

This past February, Srinagar clocked 21 degrees Celsius. That is ten degrees above normal. It was the warmest February ever recorded. 

For 13 lakh families who depend on the land, this is a direct threat to their survival.

The old Kashmiri calendar had a name for spring: Sonth. It meant snow melting slowly, and water seeping deep into the soil. 

Roots drank at their own pace. Trees woke up when they were supposed to. But that climate clock is dead. 

We now get weather whiplash. Spring has sadly become a crisis of bad timing.

Here is how the trouble starts. 

Srinagar runs hot early because of the urban heat island effect. We are seeing May temperatures while it is still March. This fools our orchards. 

The apple trees need a specific number of chilling hours to stay dormant. Instead they wake up weeks ahead of schedule. Agricultural experts........

© Kashmir Observer