Snowfall is as important to Kashmir as oxygen is to life. It serves as the lifeblood of the Kashmir’s economy and ecosystems. Snowfall not only acts as a catalyst for our economy, it also gives natives the opportunity to access adequate water resources for nurturing agriculture and powering our hydropower plants. Once snow liquifies, it feeds water to the streams and rivers, which in turn makes sure a steady water supply for farming and other economical activities.
Kashmir’s winter spans for 2-3 months – December to March and during this time, a snowfall means a lot to the local economy and agriculture. Just as oxygen fuels life in our bodies, snowfall fuels the hope of making livelihoods for the people of Kashmir. Every snowfall reshapes our culture, customs, and most importantly lays the foundation for a stable economy for the rest of the year.
What happens when a winter in Kashmir elapses without a snowfall? It is devastating as we face water shortages that reduces our agricultural productivity and a decline in tourism that makes lives of millions suffer from economic droughts.
Snowfall comes with a lot of benefits and one of the benefits that local people enjoy is the birth of means of livelihoods. Snowfall in Kashmir allures millions of tourists from the globe and the arrival of these tourists brings with it opportunities to make money while serving needs. Local hotels, restaurants, boutiques, transport, etc experience boost in their services and sales as tourists flock in with certain needs – food, water, shelter, entertainment, and enjoyment.
The moment tourists from other states or nations arrive in Kashmir, whether through Srinagar airport or via the Jammu-Kashmir highway, the entire Kashmir’s ecosystem of businesses springs into action. Everyone be that hotel owners, restaurants, artisans, clothing boutiques, etc gear up to serve unique offerings in order to provide best possible experience to the visitors.
There is a figure of somewhere around thirty thousand hotels, accommodating millions of tourists in Kashmir. This 30k number includes hostels, luxury hotels, motels, rooms, apartments, resorts, and even four star and five star hotels. However, we need to setup more four and five star hotels in Kashmir to serve the needs of foreign tourists who often leave Kashmir as early as possible citing the reason of non-availabity of five star hotels. Setting up five star hotels means offer more luxurious services than a usual hotel that doesn’t serve beyond stay and food. Entrepreneurs of Kashmir may like to cease this opportunity while developing four and five star hotels at different places of Kashmir where foreign tourists pay their visits.
Kashmir is also a home to over a hundred thousand cafes and restaurants, serving a diverse range of tasty and delicious cuisines. However, there is a shortage of establishments that would serve veg food to vegan tourists who come from different parts of the world. Vegan tourists must be served with the best veg delicacies and they would love to go to the restaurants are totally focused on making food for vegan customers. Entrepreneurs should take a serious notice of this wonderful opportunity in Kashmir. Restaurants not only serve food, they also should showcase the rich culinary heritage of Kashmir.
Auto rickshaws, cabs, buses, cars 🚗 are in millions at the service of tourists. They earn livelihoods by making sure the transport of tourists and their luggage 🧳 from one place to another place in Kashmir. Antique shops, clothing boutiques, and sports equipment rental businesses are bustling with the activity of selling their unique products and services to the tourists. Not only these establishments make sure to enhance travel experience but also showcase the rich Cultural heritage of Kashmir.
Apart from making sure to bustle our economic activities, a fresh snowfall also ensures the availability of water reserves in the upper hilly regions. As these reserves melt, they replenish our streams and rivers and this provides a steady water flow which is vital for various agricultural activities in the plain areas of Kashmir. Local farmers get access to adequate supply of water during farming seasons, helping them to boost crop growth and productivity.
In conclusion, what we express is the fact that snowfall not only helps native populace to sustain their livelihood but also creates a balance in our natural ecosystems, making it an important resource for the prosperity of Kashmir valley.
