A prolonged dry spell is sweeping across the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir during the harshest phase of winter, leaving many people sick and farmers worried about impending water shortages.
Rising temperatures in the hills in Jammu and Kashmir are increasing the vulnerability of livelihoods, particularly among indigenous tribes who practice agriculture.
Flash floods, cloudbursts and unusually high temperatures in Jammu and Kashmir are blamed for a loss of livestock, damage to infrastructure and dozens of deaths in what are seen as manifestations of global warming and human-caused climate change.
The homegrown apple is in danger of becoming a rarity in India, as farmers have lost up to half their harvest this year, with predictions that the country's main orchards could soon be all but wiped out.
