Rapid urbanisation and depletion of forest cover are contributing factors to global warming. Sikkim & hilly zones in North Bengal are worst affected.
Gangtok& Darjeeling:A RECENT study shows that Darjeeling — a hill station — has turned into an uncomfortably hot zone. According to data available with the North Bengal University’s weather station, the Queen of the Hills has undergone a remarkable change by way of annual temperatures in comparison with the situation till a few years back.A century ago the mean annual temperature of this town was recorded as 13.45 degrees Celsius. Now it is 14.5 degrees Celsius, according to the weather station. Moreover, the rise in temperatures in the hills is twice that in the plains. In the plains of North Bengal, which comprise five districts, the average rise is five degrees Celsius.Again, the temperature jump in Jalpaiguri has gone from 23.9 degrees Celsius to 24.45 degrees Celsius, Cooch Behar from 23.90 degrees Celsius to 24.50 degrees Celsius and Malda from 25.75 degrees Celsius to 26.20 degrees Celsius.While global warming is said to be the major cause and obvious reason for the rise in mercury levels in this hill station, a number of other local factors have contributed to the menace.Urbanisation and depletion of forest cover are the two important reasons. One of the immediate effects of global warming in the hilly areas is the soil condition – and soil is losing moisture rapidly.In recent years, Siliguri town has witnessed massive urbanisation characterised by a population growth of about 49 per cent and vehicular growth of 79 per cent. These have contributed to the steady rise in temperature. It is intriguing that Siliguri, in recent years, has shown a temperature hovering around 39-40 degrees Celsius in August. Ironically, Siliguri used to be compared with Cherapunji — that perennial rainfall zone in the North-east. Now it experiences a temperature graph similar to Delhi. Relative to the 1860-1900 period, global land and sea temperatures have increased by 75 degrees Celsius. Based on the estimates by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2005 was the warmest year since the late 1800s. 
Sikkim is no exception and experienced a warmer winter in 2005. What continues to surprise local inhabitants is that the temperature in Sikkim has refused to drop and mountain peaks and the upper ridges have not seen any snowfall. Clear blue skies and sunny weather dominated Sikkim last winter. Surprisingly, there was no significant rainfall during winter.The temperature recorded this year was one degree Celsius above normal. Such higher temperatures are attributed to the lack of several disturbances. Normally, Sikkim experiences snowfall, particularly in the mountain peaks, during winter but is has been conspicuous by its absence in recent years. The lowest temperature recorded on 28 December 2004 was 5.6 degrees Celsius while the temperature in the corresponding period shot up to 6.7 degrees Celsius. 
In 2004, Sikkim experienced eight days of winter rain but there was not much rainfall in 2005. Not surprisingly, the upper reaches that are usually covered in snow are no longer snowcapped peaks, even in winter. Rather, sporadic snowfall occurred in the Sikkim Himalayas. Sikkim witnessed a cold dry spell in 2005-2006, which is almost unprecedented. Such spells account for the lack of moisture on the grassy layer of topsoil, which could easily ignite and turn the forest into a virtual tinderbox. On 5 December 2005, 29 forest fires were reported from non-fire prone areas. East Sikkim was traditionally known as forest fire prone zone, yet it remained unharmed while West Sikkim bore the brunt of fire. This fire became visible from 1 December 2005 and flames were seen in Dzongu in North Sikkim. Most of the fire blazed in the steep rocky cliffs and destroyed ground grasses and minor flora.Again, a massive fire swept across the grassy highlands of Lachung in North Sikkim at an altitude of 10,000 feet, engulfing more than 300 hectares of biodiversity and its enormity led to the deployment of paramilitary forces. It also destroyed a lot of fauna. Thankfully, this blaze was prevented from spilling over into the famous Rhododendron Sanctuary at Yumthang, around 24 km from Lachung. The forest at Hegyathang in lower Dzongu, North Sikkim, also caught fire and this lasted for one week. Another huge fire erupted at Lasuney, adjacent to Dickchu. The village of Lausney will be threatened id such a blaze spills over the forest peak.With such incidents of forest fires coming up, the forest department has appealed to residents to be careful and support its effort to curb this menace. According to some sources, the shortage of manpower, infrastructure and funds have severely exposed the forest department and its efficiency and readiness in such calamities. “The total area under forest in Sikkim is 80 per cent with a lesser number of forest guards. It is a tough task to monitor such a huge expanse with such limited manpower,” says a senior forest official.But it is not just a problem of manpower or funds; there is a perceptible change in hill climate, which owes to the frequent destruction of forest cover. The only relief is that no major loss of wildlife or valuable flora has been reported. But one never knows, does one?
Sikkim is no exception and experienced a warmer winter in 2005. What continues to surprise local inhabitants is that the temperature in Sikkim has refused to drop and mountain peaks and the upper ridges have not seen any snowfall. Clear blue skies and sunny weather dominated Sikkim last winter. Surprisingly, there was no significant rainfall during winter.The temperature recorded this year was one degree Celsius above normal. Such higher temperatures are attributed to the lack of several disturbances. Normally, Sikkim experiences snowfall, particularly in the mountain peaks, during winter but is has been conspicuous by its absence in recent years. The lowest temperature recorded on 28 December 2004 was 5.6 degrees Celsius while the temperature in the corresponding period shot up to 6.7 degrees Celsius. 
In 2004, Sikkim experienced eight days of winter rain but there was not much rainfall in 2005. Not surprisingly, the upper reaches that are usually covered in snow are no longer snowcapped peaks, even in winter. Rather, sporadic snowfall occurred in the Sikkim Himalayas. Sikkim witnessed a cold dry spell in 2005-2006, which is almost unprecedented. Such spells account for the lack of moisture on the grassy layer of topsoil, which could easily ignite and turn the forest into a virtual tinderbox. On 5 December 2005, 29 forest fires were reported from non-fire prone areas. East Sikkim was traditionally known as forest fire prone zone, yet it remained unharmed while West Sikkim bore the brunt of fire. This fire became visible from 1 December 2005 and flames were seen in Dzongu in North Sikkim. Most of the fire blazed in the steep rocky cliffs and destroyed ground grasses and minor flora.Again, a massive fire swept across the grassy highlands of Lachung in North Sikkim at an altitude of 10,000 feet, engulfing more than 300 hectares of biodiversity and its enormity led to the deployment of paramilitary forces. It also destroyed a lot of fauna. Thankfully, this blaze was prevented from spilling over into the famous Rhododendron Sanctuary at Yumthang, around 24 km from Lachung. The forest at Hegyathang in lower Dzongu, North Sikkim, also caught fire and this lasted for one week. Another huge fire erupted at Lasuney, adjacent to Dickchu. The village of Lausney will be threatened id such a blaze spills over the forest peak.With such incidents of forest fires coming up, the forest department has appealed to residents to be careful and support its effort to curb this menace. According to some sources, the shortage of manpower, infrastructure and funds have severely exposed the forest department and its efficiency and readiness in such calamities. “The total area under forest in Sikkim is 80 per cent with a lesser number of forest guards. It is a tough task to monitor such a huge expanse with such limited manpower,” says a senior forest official.But it is not just a problem of manpower or funds; there is a perceptible change in hill climate, which owes to the frequent destruction of forest cover. The only relief is that no major loss of wildlife or valuable flora has been reported. But one never knows, does one?(Santanu Basu)
