Snowless Ladakh: Authorities Using Fans To Create Ice Surface For Hockey Rink In Cold Desert [details]

Although the 15-day Ice Hockey coaching camp was inaugurated today at the Taisuru area of the Kargil district of Ladakh, authorities have to make artificial arrangements to accumulate ice due to mild temperatures in the cold desert that too in the month of January.

Every year authorities organize Ice Hockey coaching camps in different parts of Ladakh to train young players but this time snowless cold desert has made this annual event very difficult, rather impossible.

However, this year, the dreams of aspiring players are at risk due to a lack of conducive conditions for forming natural ice.

This year the Department of Youth Services and Sports Ladakh has been facing an unexpected challenge as warm weather has disrupted traditional ice rink preparation.

Despite proactive efforts by the YSS Department, organizing tournaments and coaching camps, the warm weather prevailing in mid-January hampered the formation of the essential ice surface.

Authorities using fans to freeze ice

Due to the mild temperature in the cold desert, ice hockey lovers are using fans to freeze ice for the hockey rinks.

This winter, unprecedented warm weather has been witnessed in the region and it has dampened the spirits of enthusiasts in Kargil.

Innovative solutions are being explored, such as the use of electric fans during the night to encourage the freezing process still no relief from dry and snowless weather comes for the people.

The official said that they fill the hockey rink with water at night and keep fans on throughout the night to allow water to freeze with the help of spray.

After every two to three hours, authorities add some water to the rink to increase ice layers so that players can play ice hockey without any disruption.

People are worried about a snowless winter in Ladakh.

Winter devoid of snow has created big worries for the people, particularly farmers, Ladakh with experts describing the prevailing climate as grim for the region that will have a long-term adverse impact on Ladakhi people.

The experts have also warned of serious drinking water and irrigation problems for the people of Ladakhi, particularly farmers, in the coming summer season as the lack of snowfall is expected to hurt the recharging of existing glaciers crucial for agricultural purposes, which, in turn, will cause water scarcity in the region for irrigation and drinking purposes.

Another serious cause of concern for experts is the alarming increase in minimum temperature of the Ladakh region where the lowest minimum temperature from November 2023 to till date has been recorded at just minus 12.4 degrees Celsius, which earlier used to plunge up to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

What mounts the worries of Ladakhi people is that Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) officials have predicted no major activity of Western Disturbance (WD) till January 25, thereby ruling out the possibility of having snowfall till the last week of this month.

Ice Hockey coaching camp inaugurated

However, Zonal Physical Education Officer Taisuru Thursday inaugurated the opening ceremony of the 15-day Ice Hockey Coaching camp at Ice-Hockey Rink Youljuk in Taisuru.

More than 140 boys and girls players of all age groups from different areas of the block registered their names for participation in the coaching camp.

Councillor Taisuru, Abdul Hadi was the chief guest at the opening ceremony. Moreover, the HM HS Youljuk, Mohd Hassan, and public representatives of Taisuru block were also present as guests on the occasion.