Hot Summer

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
Representational Photo

This summer again feels different in Kashmir, and not in a good way. We are again witnessing a heatwave, the second over the past thirty days. First wave was broken by a weeklong chill that also witnessed snowfall in parts of the Valley. Now it is back to the sun shining a little too bright and the days growing unusually warm. Jammu's temperature has also soared to 44.4°C this week, making it one of the hottest places in the world right now. Even Qazigund, usually a pleasant stop on the way to Srinagar, clocked its third-highest temperature for June in more than 60 years. Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, places we associate with cold mountain air, are all baking under this relentless heat.

However, the problem is that Kashmir isn't built for this kind of weather. Our homes, schools, and hospitals aren't designed to keep the heat out. Air conditioning is a luxury few can afford. And for those who work outdoors, farmers, labourers, traffic police, street vendors, this is a weather they are not familiar with.

The government has said it's watching the situation. There's talk of an early summer break for schools if things don't improve. That will be a welcome step. For now, the School Education Department has issued SOPs for extreme weather, and it is important that they are followed in practice.

That said, this is climate change. The truth is, this heatwave isn't a one-off. Climate change isn't some faraway crisis anymore, it's here: in our homes. In our fields. In our classrooms.

We need to be better prepared. Not just for this week, or this summer, but for the many unpredictable ones ahead. The unusual rise in temperature in Kashmir and across the globe has already caused deep concern about the creeping climate change, which is changing the nature of the seasons. Though this should cause alarm, it isn't. Or at least to the extent where it could matter. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh between them are home to around 1.7 billion people and any disruption in the climate pattern could severely impact them. So, the three countries, as well as other countries in the region need to wake up and work toward a global response to the looming catastrophe. But the factors causing climate change are global in nature and so any effort to reverse the damage has to be backed by the world. And this should be done sooner than later. The time is running out fast.

Read Also Heatwave Conditions Persist In Six Districts Of Jammu Jammu Among World's Hottest Spots At 44.4°C, Qazigund Sets New June High

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