Mustang, February 1

"Just a cold breeze, no snow," said Ash Bahadur Thakali, a local of Thini village in Mustang. "Till this time last year, we had received snowfall several times. But there is no indication of snowfall this time around," he reflected.

Mustang has not witnessed any snowfall even though it's already mid-winter. Villages and settlements are parched. The cliffs and ridges look barren, not appealing anymore.

In absence of snowfall, farmers are worried for their crops, which are on the verge of withering, especially in the areas lacking irrigation facilities.

Thakali said winter crops such as uwa, barley, wheat, onion and potato do not show any sign of 'yielding' in absence of snowfall.

The popular tourism destinations of the trans-Himalayan districts, which used to look majestic with snow in the winter season now appear to be deserted, he lamented.

Deepak Lalchan, an apple farmer of Gharpajhong-2, Marfa, said fruits and crops were not getting the required moisture in lack of snowfall. "Most probably apple yields will drop this year," he said, adding, "However, as Marfa has good irrigation facilities, we are not too worried."

But the farmers of Thasang, which is a fertile land for barley, are looking at the skies with knitted brows. There is no irrigation facility in Thasang.

The Himalayan way of life has also been affected in the absence of snowfall and rain. Lalchan shared that they were now experiencing warmer weather at the time it would normally be bone-chilling cold.

Those descending to plain and city areas to ward off chilly days are also surprised to know that there was no snowfall in the high-altitude areas this time.

Acting Chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre Mustang, Prakash Bastakoti said the quantity and quality of the winter crops would wane if there was no snowfall and rain in the winter.

"Production will drop if the moisture content necessary for flowering of apple trees is not adequately maintained." He further said that the farmers are awaiting snowfall for cultivation of potato and for already-cultivated barley, wheat and uwa to grow.

Bastakoti observed, "Lack of snowfall till the onset of February could be because of climate change. If this trend continues, new crop varieties could be cultivated in the Himalayan region, while the production of indigenous crops may plummet."

Lately, the upper belt of Mustang has also witnessed the production of vegetable items such as cucumber and tomato, Bastakoti shared.

Not only Mustang, no Himalayan district or higher altitude area of Gandaki province has not experienced any snowfall or rain this winter season.

Chief of Gandaki Province Agriculture Development Directorate, Basudev Regmi said the unexpected climate condition has direct bearing on the winter crops cultivated in the high altitude areas of Mustang, Manang, Myagdi and Baglung. "The areas having no irrigation facilities will incur heavy losses in the absence of snowfall and rain."

Meteorologist at Weather Forecasting Division, Sanjeeb Adhikari said there was no chance for rain in the Gandaki province areas in the immediate future.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 2, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.