This October was more and less like the one of 2009. Shops started to shut down. However, there was a delay of week or so in closure. When we had landed here last year, only Gesmo was open while all other eating places of some significance had shut down. This year, however, well into last week, Chopsticks and Summer Harvest were also open. There was a snowfall overnight 23-24 October but a bright sun a day later melted the whole thing. While some snow kept on getting deposited on mountain ranges around the town, the slopes closing on to Leh soon became naked. But for a couple of days since then, weather has been clear and sunny. Mercury does dip below zero in the night and as a result, water freezes inside pipes (if not drained at night) and on roads and open spaces where depth is minimal. However, this temperature profile of minus 5 to minus 8 in the night means that water tanks that are partially filled, do not see the contents frozen during night. So, there is water available in the morning and by 1100h or so, taps start to run. Now, this is very different from last year. Water taps had run dry due to frozen pipes and water connections had been cut by end October 2009. I write these lines on 14 Nov and things are not as bad till now. In fact, it was on night 13/14 Nov 2009 that a spell of snowfall had started and it went on snowing for a few days on a trot. In fact, it was supposed to be one of the biggest snowfalls in many years. At the end of that spell, we had around 18-24 inches of snow inside the town.....and that was pretty unusual. Indian Met Department, during July-Aug when Monsoons had really gone overboard, had predicted delayed winters this year. Now, while Delhi has had its first winter rain on 13 Nov 10 and as per the TV reports, winters have announced arrival there, IMD’s prediction is holding true here. By the way, before we really conclude that life is pretty sun-filled and warm, let me mention that you are OK as long as you are out in sun with a jacket on or you are indoors with heating arrangements in place. Otherwise, you tend to freeze, ie, if you are in a shade or indoors without heating appliances. The beauty lies in the fact that complete house is like a refrigerator except the rooms where there is some heating system. Very soon, refrigerator will upgrade itself into a deep freezer. It is just a matter of time.
I had covered a few issues related to winters here during my previous post at the same time of last year or early this year. Here, I would mention a thing or two about bathrooms. When it gets really cold here, entering a bathroom becomes an expedition in itself. I am not referring about commode business since we have covered it already. Here, I am referring to just washing and breaks to take a leak. The locals as well as visitors have to fetch filled water buckets from tanks outside. The local administration supplies water through water browsers. The fortunate ones who have their houses next to main streets and roads, get the water delivered through a hole in the boundary wall, inside of which would be a storage tank. The lesser mortals have to fill their cans and buckets from these vehicles at specified points (see pics posted earlier). Whatever it is, water has to be ferried inside the bathrooms. I wonder how many locals can afford to take bath on regular basis because of the simple fact that heating is an expensive luxury here. Firstly, when Indus begins to freeze, the only source of the power available is a system of diesel generators. So, the electricity supply is there for five hours every day but for obvious reasons, no heaters can be plugged in. (At the cost of deviating a bit, I would mention here that hydro-electricity project at Alchi is almost complete, almost an year before schedule (what a pleasant surprise) and had it been an usual year, Leh would have been electrified by now. But while the project site got ready before time, lines could not be laid because of flash floods. Work on pylons is on and is likely to continue well into winters. So, next year, by this time, Lehites will have a better electricity supply, hopefully!!) Secondly, Kerosene at a rate in excess of Rs 45/- a litre is still not available even if one wants to spend extra bucks on the purchase. One family, irrespective of its strength, is issued four cans of (20 litres each) Kerosene oil in one year through public distribution system. For a winter as long as seven to eight months (at least six months needing definite heating), this will not suffice for heating throughout the season. Third option is LPG heater. It is both expensive to operate and less effective when it comes to heating per se (LPG, however, is seldom in short supply). Fourth and the most preferred option, therefore, is fire wood that every household so painstakingly gathers from owned plants/plantations (no trees are cut; those are simply trimmed) during fair weather or simply buys it from timber depot. (Coal is a luxury and in any case, there are not many takers for this seemingly dirty fuel).
So, whatever may be the mode of heating, dearth of resources means that full house cannot be kept warm throughout the season. So, while the family converges on to the heater placed in the kitchen (many families use the heater for cooking too, if there is enough firewood for that), not many can afford to heat up the bathrooms (western toilets in attached baths, in any case, are not used by majority who put traditional ones into use). So, while a few may cover the bathroom floors with Astroturf mats to absorb water without letting it freeze on tiles/floor and cause slippery films here and there, a majority lives with the adventure. Coming to bathing, even if you can afford a kerosene or LPG stove to heat up the water, moments that immediately precede or follow the actual act of taking bath, remain perilous. Inside cold environs of an unheated bathroom, it is a huge task to undress and dress up again, especially so when clothing layers are far too many. So, expecting people to take bath daily is unfair. Weekly and fortnightly routines may still be desirable, may not be put into practice by many, though. However, inactive or missing sweat glands in Ladakhi skins act as a saving grace and unless you land up among nomads or some really lazy or unfortunate people, you may not be bothered by body odours. BTW, I have taken bath every single day during last winter, basically, because of the fact that we could heat up our bathroom for a few hours every day, unlike many others. Hotels like Grand Dragon would also offer you far superior amenities like central heating and running hot water but then you may lose out on the fun factor.
It has taken a lot of time but with the change of local council after recent elections, Deepika’s long nurtured dream has finally started to take shape. Starting mid November, main market area has been made parking and traffic free on trial basis. The ultimate aim is to have a walking plaza with some seating arrangements and aesthetically done up additions instead of prevailing traffic chaos and discomfort. How far does it succeed remains to be seen. Our wishes are with her and the team that supports her despite tough opposition by some locals.
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