SRINAGAR, JAN 02: A thin layer of ice has formed over the Dal Lake in Srinagar as cold weather conditions coupled with dense fog gripped the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday.
Maximum temperatures in the region have also witnessed a sharp drop during the past two days. The minimum temperature in the Kashmir Valley remained below the freezing point, recording minus 4.8 degrees Celsius on Monday night.
The residents of the lake, who live in houseboats, had a tough time breaking the ice layer while roving their boats towards the banks.
Water supply pipes have frozen in many areas of Kashmir due to extreme cold wave conditions.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night’s minus 5.7 degrees Celsius.
The tourist destination of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4 degrees Celsius.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ — the 40-day harshest winter period when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies, including the Dal Lake as well as the water supply lines in several parts of the valley.
The chances of snowfall are the highest during this period and most areas, especially the higher reaches, receive heavy snowfall.
