Khelo India Winter Games Postponed - Fresh Dates Awaited, Likely In Early March

Khelo India Winter Games 2025, Part II, has been postponed due to snow shortage. The event, as such, was on tenterhooks, and the fears of uncertainty were expressed by Skymet in the last week's article. The fresh dates are yet to be announced. Keeping in mind the likelihood of snowfall activity in two short spells, early March could be probable for the event, subject to confirmation. This is the second time that the games have been postponed since it began in 2020.

The winter sporting event was set to begin on Feb 22, 2025, for a four-day mega show between the 22nd and 25th Feb. With the slopes running out of snow for skiing, the games have now been deferred until the next bout of snow. Low precipitation this winter has triggered significant shortfalls, and the streams, rivers, and springs have been running dry. All these water resources are the lifeline to last for the rest of the year. The lack of glacial snow/ice jeopardizes the adequate flow in the downstream rivers and streams.

The state of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has been rain-deficient by over 80% during this season. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also no better. Snowfall in the region has been showing a declining trend in recent years, although this year has been unusually dry. While the Valley witnessed snowfall twice this winter, it was insufficient with the warmer-than-normal Jan & Feb temperatures melting the snow that the region did receive.

Now, two back-to-back western disturbances are likely to move across the northern mountains in the remaining days of February. The first system will trigger fairly widespread snowfall in the mid and higher reaches on 19th and 20th Feb 2025. The second western disturbance between 25th and 27th Feb is expected to complement the first spell. The two together, will increase the depth of snow on the slopes of the mountains to the desired levels. The chances for the games to be conducted in early March are promising.