'No Less Than Doomsday': Kashmir Heatwave Worsens, Smashing 72-Year-Old Temperature Record
85-year-old Ghulam Hassan of Kokernag in south Kashmir says he has never seen "this crisis when water has disappeared from streams".
Published : July 6, 2025 at 7:37 AM IST
|Updated : July 6, 2025 at 7:43 AM IST
Srinagar: After over seven decades, an unrelenting heatwave has breached records with Kashmir experiencing the third hottest July day ever on Saturday, worrying large farming communities in the face of a prolonged dry spell.
Director of the Meteorological Centre, Srinagar, Mukhtar Ahmad, told ETV Bharat that the third-highest day temperature in July was recorded on Saturday, since 1946. “That year saw the mercury soar to 38.3 degrees Celsius, followed by 37.8 in 1953. Today, we recorded 37.4 degrees Celsius in Srinagar,” he said.
June was recorded to be the hottest since 1978, said Ahmad, with average temperature hovering over 32 degrees Celsius. The last few weeks have witnessed an unprecedented heatwave for the place known for its cool climate, with maximum temperatures staying well above 35 degrees Celsius.
“This was a few degrees above normal. This extended heat has caused a deficit in rain by 50 per cent since last month. It will have an impact on agriculture, particularly paddy, which requires water,” he added.
The deficit has prompted the authorities to issue an advisory to farmers for rationalising irrigation in fields due to the low water table in rivers and streams. Multiple farmers across Kashmir said that they are worried about witnessing parched fields and dry irrigation streams at the peak of the agricultural season.
“This is no less than doomsday,” said 85-year-old Ghulam Hassan of Kokernag, who has been cultivating paddy on his 18 kanals for decades. “But I have never seen this crisis when water has disappeared from streams.
My family will have to buy rice for the first time in my lifetime if this situation persists. My fields are dry and the top of the paddy is burning due to scorching heat.”
Agriculture is the mainstay of J&K's economy, with 2/3rd of the population directly or indirectly involved in the sector. In 2024-25, according to official data, agriculture, besides other allied sectors, contributes 20 per cent to J&K's GVA, slightly higher than the national average of 19.61 per cent.
Kashmir Director of Agriculture Sartaj Shah said they are working to chalk out a plan alongside the irrigation department and the Agriculture University to find a solution for farmers. He advised the farmers to sow an alternative crop like millet in the face of water shortage.
The MeT’s Ahmad attributes the soaring temperature to multiple factors, including an extended dry spell and an increase in global average temperature due to climate change. “Often showers were observed after the mercury breached 35 degrees Celsius, but lack of snow in the mountains has dried up autoconvective rainfalls in Kashmir,” he added. “This rain would cause major changes in the weather system. But now the lack of rain is a concerning sign.”
In the meantime, the trade bodies have urged the J&K government to extend the ongoing summer vacation in schools in the face of a heatwave. The two-week vacation is ending tomorrow, but the education minister, Sakina Itoo, has said that a decision on extension will be made on Sunday.
The safety and health of students must be the top priority. The majority of educational institutions are not adequately equipped to deal with high temperatures,” said Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry Faiz Ahmed Bakshi, Secretary General.
Many schools, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, lack proper ventilation, cooling mechanisms or heat-mitigation infrastructure, making it extremely difficult for students and staff to function safely, he added.
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