Sixty per cent of Himachal Pradesh receives snowfall, which is critical not only for the state's ecology but its economy as well. Weather experts say the early snowfall this year could well be owing to the lockdown-induced drop in vehicular traffic and industrial activity in the foothills, which may have brought pollution levels down.
The impact of the 90-day lockdown in the state is also visible in other ways, such as cleaner rivers and lakes. This year, the state is witnessing heavy rainfall in the major tourist hubs, such as Kullu-Manali, Chamba-Dalhousie and Shimla-Rampur, as well as the remote tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti. This will help recharge the natural water sources even as the early snowfall acts as a buffer water source in the upper reaches.
Comment: A day earlier on the west coast another dead humpback was discovered on the shoreline of Humboldt County, California: