PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Jyotirmath
The authorities have directed the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) to complete preparations for the winter carnival national championship to be held at Auli from February 13 to 16. However, considering the limited snowfall, the melting of snow due to rising temperatures and the uncertainty of the possibility of adequate snowfall in time for the event, observers opine that this might turn out to be one of the various events in the past which were not held due to lack of snow despite of official “preparations”.
Uttarakhand witnessed only a couple of spells of delayed snowfall this winter, which has not really covered the higher reaches with snow. In the snow sport destination of Auli here in Chamoli district, the rising temperatures is escalating the melting of snow on the skiing slope. The snow around the GMVN resort in Auli has already started to melt due to the rising temperatures.
Locals say that if there is no snowfall in the coming days, the national championships planned in Auli may face uncertainty. Local skier Dinesh Bhatt said that the snow is melting swiftly in Auli and in such conditions it is not possible to hold a competition here. The district tourism officer Arvind Gaur said that the GMVN has been told to complete all preparations on time for the national event.
