Early winter chill forces nomadic migration in Kashmir

Shopian, Oct 10: A sudden onset of winter in Kashmir has forced the nomadic Gujjar and Bakarwal communities to begin their seasonal migration earlier than usual, as families move livestock from high-altitude pastures to warmer plains. Heavy snowfall and a sharp drop in temperature in the alpine meadows have made it impossible for the pastoralists to continue grazing their sheep and goats in the mountains.

Ghulam Qadir Khantana, a Bakarwal returning from the highland pastures of Sonamarg, described the sudden weather changes that compelled them to leave earlier than planned. “We had no choice but to start moving with our livestock. Normally, we would have stayed a few more weeks, but the cold came early this year,” he said, as he herded animals through Heerpora, the last habitation on the Shopian side along the historic Mughal Road.

Traditionally, the nomadic Gujjar and Bakarwal tribes migrate to alpine meadows in April and return to lower plains in Jammu, Udhampur, and Kathua districts around November. However, this year, heavy snow and frost forced the pastoral communities to commence their journey weeks ahead of schedule, altering their carefully planned migration cycle.

The migration is a physically demanding and risky journey, with nomads navigating rugged terrains across the Pir Panjal mountain range in the lower Himalayas for several weeks.

“We often face many difficulties, especially during harsh weather. Sometimes our sheep and goats do not survive such conditions,” said Khantana. “During our journey, which lasts several weeks, we also face health issues and other challenges,” he added.

Economic challenges have also compounded their hardships. Erratic weather conditions prevented the pastoralists from selling livestock, as buyers could not reach them. “The weather spoiled the entire season,” Khantana said. A younger community member added that they were unable to find transport to move their livestock to Jammu and other districts in the region, forcing them to carry out the migration largely on foot.

In 2022, the Tribal Affairs Department had deployed hundreds of lorries across Kashmir to assist the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities during their winter migration. “No such arrangements have been made since then,” community members said, underscoring the lack of administrative support despite the unpredictability of the weather and the vulnerability of the nomadic groups.

The early migration highlights the growing challenges faced by Kashmir’s nomadic pastoralists amid changing weather patterns, sparse infrastructure, and limited institutional assistance. Locals warn that without timely support, both humans and livestock are at risk during these early and arduous journeys through the Himalayan terrain.