By: Rakesh Lohumi ( Sr. Editor-ICN Group )
SHIMLA: It has been a bad season so far at the Asia’s oldest natural ice-skating rink. The weather gods have not been kind to ice-skating enthusiasts. Prolonged dry spell and abnormally high temperatures for winters have all but completely wiped out the first half of the season which got delayed by over three weeks due to unfavourable weather conditions.
Normally the skating season commences towards the end of November and in favourable conditions 30 to 35 sessions are completed by the end of December. This season only three sessions have been possible so far and that too on extremely thin and uneven sheet of ice, in far from ideal skating conditions. It was only the sudden spell of mild snow on Christmas that brought down the soaring mercury to freezing levels, paving way for a belated start of the season.
Weather plays a vital role as the sheet of ice is formed by freezing water under the sky. It is an art mastered by the grounds men over the years. Water is sprayed over the open rink in a controlled manner several times a day and once the soil is saturated with water and cooled sufficiently, a thin layer of ice appears on the surface. It grows thicker gradually as more water is sprayed. Clear weather, particularly during nights, is ideal as the mercury dips to sub-zero temperatures, which helps water to freeze naturally. Clouds play the spoilsport as they block radiations and prevent heat from escaping into the atmosphere, making nights warmer.
With snow becoming increasingly scarce and average temperatures rising abnormally conditions are becoming more and more unfavourable with each passing year. Nowadays minimum temperature seldom dips below the freezing point and as a result the ice skating season is shrinking. Until 1970s the season extended to almost four months from early November and continued till middle of the March as the thickly forested hills reeled under subzero temperatures through the winters. Despite frequent spells of snow 120 to 150 sessions, both morning and evening, were held during the season as minimum temperatures hovered between (minus) -3 C to (minus) – 9 C.
These days even 30 to 40 sessions are not possible as the season barely extends to two months during which evening sessions are hardly possible as ice melts during the day due to high ambient temperature. There has been a sea change in the micro climate due to sharp degeneration of environment, a consequence of man-made factors like large scale deforestation and excessive constructions, which have transformed lush green hills into veritable concrete jungles. Worse, even the thick cluster of trees on the hillside, which provided shade from sun, has vanished. A large part is now exposed to sun rays, reducing the effective area of the rink to half.
For decades ice-skating “Carnival” was held on Christmas (December 25) and “Gymkhana” on New Year which fall during the peak season. However, now the seasons starts around Christmas. In absence of snow ice skating rink has been the main attraction for winter revellers who throng the “Queen of Hills” in large numbers. With the seasons shrinking fast due to changing climate and uncertain weather conditions, the Shimla Ice Skating Club , which manages the rink, has drawn up a plan to install a refrigeration plant to ensure skating for at least three months. It has submitted a Rs 8 crore project to the Centre for securing funds to revive the dying rink. It will be maintained as an open outdoor rink to help retain its natural ambience even after the implementation of the project which will transform it into a semi-artificial rink. Thus, it will not lose its historic status of the oldest natural ice skating rink. The refrigeration plant will only facilitate the process of natural freezing of water so that the operational cost remains low and the local ice skating enthusiasts are not put off due to high charges.
