Nagaland gets another spell of snowfall

Morung Express News
Kohima | February 21

Neilhouzono Peseyie, President of Angami Women Organisation (AWO), and a resident of Jotsoma village remembers witnessing snowfall in Puliebadze twenty years back. “It has been extremely cold this year,” says Peseyie, who resides in the foothill of Puliebadze. We are experiencing the snowfall again after almost twenty years, she adds.

As Nagaland witnessed another spell of snowfall on February 21, sources informed that Nagaland is experiencing erratic weather patterns which are attributed to climate change. This is most likely to impact the agricultural sector and farmers.

“We are experiencing climate change in our doorstep,” says Albert Ngullie, Additional Director, Land Resource Department, citing the erratic rainfall pattern in Nagaland. “When we are expecting a dry spell, we have been receiving rainfall and vice versa. This is affecting our cropping patterns, and planting season,” highlights Ngullie.

Ngullie said that the jhum cultivation cycle normally begins in March during the dry season where jhum activities like of cutting and drying are taken up.

However, “This year, the rainfall is coming early so we suspect there may be a long dry spell season during summer. This affects the sowing, germination, harvesting process. If there is no good shower during the fruiting season, it is going to affect the yield,” notes Ngullie.

“It is snowing in many areas in the State where it has rarely snowed,” adds Supongnukshi, IFS, Chief Conservator of Forest and State Nodal officer for Climate Change, Nagaland.
The official also remarked that the changing weather patterns have led to unpredictability of seasons.

Besides Puliebadze, snowfall was also reported in Dzukou valley, Khuzama, Pfütsero in Phek district, Seyochung in Kiphire district, and parts of Zunheboto districts like Luvishe, Tsuruhu, Satoi and Vishepu village, among several other locations.