Shimla/Manali, January 22
It is the ‘sun tourism’ that is catching up fast in Himachal Pradesh as one gets more balmy days in the winter compared to the northern plains where the fog is screening out the sun, a worrying sign for climate scientists.
But members of the hospitality industry are not complaining. They told IANS that many holidaymakers have now been preferring rooms with sun rise in the balcony, especially in the winter. A breathtaking view of snow-clad peaks will be an added attraction.
Old-timers recall the winter in Shimla and its nearby areas is not as harsh as it was till the late 1970s. “The smoke-belching chimneys, once city’s landmark, are a thing of the past,” remarked Ramesh Sud, who has been living in Shimla since 1960.
Some residents have been wondering if the rise in minimum temperatures in recent years in winter is a result of global warming, though scientists have said the overall warming trend should not have any effect on local weather on such short-time scales, as per current models.
