Snow-making machine at Auli bought for Rs 6.5 cr lying unused for 15 yrs, tourism dept now decides to junk it

Dehradun: For over 15 years, a Rs 6.5 crore snow-making machine in Auli has remained largely defunct, having stopped working a few years after it was installed. Its failure has come at a cost: several skiing events at the hill station have been postponed due to inadequate snowfall during that period and they could have gone ahead had the system been functional. In 2025, the annual skiing and snowboarding championship was deferred for the third consecutive year after snow levels fell short of the required two feet for professionals and six inches for beginners.Officials said repeated attempts to repair the machine have yielded little success and preparations are now underway to procure a new system. "The possibility of the snow-making machine becoming functional is minimal. We are now preparing to purchase a new system, but the decision will be taken only after a technical survey," Uttarakhand tourism secretary Dhiraaj Singh Garbyal told TOI.European experts carried out the installation of the system between 2009 and 2011. The project comprised 24 snow guns—20 static and four mobile units—and also included the construction of a lake in the area. However, after an initial trial run, the machines were rarely used, eventually earning the tag of a "white elephant" for failing to boost adventure tourism in the region.Apart from technical faults, officials have also pointed to a lack of operational know-how. "Our local engineers did not have adequate technical knowledge to operate the machine and, as a result, barring a few occasions, it did not function," said Ajay Bhatt, joint secretary of the Winter Games Association of Uttarakhand. Defending the project, he added that timing was also a critical factor. "In other countries, snow-making machines are used between Nov 15 and Jan 15. In Auli, we attempt to use them after Jan 15, when the chances of snowfall diminish. These machines depend on suitable air and ground temperatures, and late-Jan use does not yield desired results."Over the years, snowfall in Auli has become increasingly unreliable and melts faster—an issue attributed to climate change. Beyond its impact on winter tourism, the decline has also hit ski instructors, many of whom have been forced to sell their equipment to buy mules and seek work during the Char Dham yatra.This year, however, adequate snowfall has been recorded, and the Skiing Winter Carnival and National Winter Games will be held in Auli from Friday. Garbyal said the govt has drawn up extensive plans to promote winter sports at the hill station and added, "For the plans to see fruition, a proper set-up is mandatory." He noted that over six crore tourists visited Uttarakhand in 2025, and now the focus was on winter tourism and adventure sports. "Our winter Char Dham yatra also received a good response, with around 35,000 pilgrims participating. Now, the emphasis is on encouraging more tourism activities at Auli, which remains a premier winter destination," he said.