Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, May 23 : As an intense heatwave sweeps through Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar’s Harwan and Dachigam streams have transformed into popular cooling stations for local youth seeking respite from the sweltering sun.
With the city on Thursday recording a scorching 34.4°C, the third-highest May temperature in 133 years, and on Friday, more than 30°C, scores of young men headed towards these forested streams, parked their bikes and cars under the trees and dived into cold mountain waters.
“It has become unbearable in the city,” said 22-year-old Saqib Lone, as he emerged drenched from a stream near Dachigam.
“There is no better place than this to beat the heat,” he said while speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
As per independent weather forecaster Faizan Arif Keng, Srinagar recorded 34.4°C on Thursday, surpassing the previous May record of 34.3°C from 1971. “It’s the third-highest-ever May temperature in the last 133 years,” Keng told KNO.
As the heatwave grips the valley, Harwan and Dachigam have become daily destinations for youth groups. Carrying Bluetooth speakers, snacks and towels, they spend hours inside the icy streams that flow through the foothills of the Zabarwan Range.
“It is the only escape we have,” said Ubaid Mukhtar, a resident of downtown Srinagar. “This place feels cool and heavenly, and we can cool off naturally.”
Meanwhile, doctors and the administration have issued advisories urging people to stay hydrated, avoid direct exposure to the sun and limit physical activity during peak heat hours—(KNO)
