New Delhi: Scientists warn that India is getting less sunlight than it used to, and this is quite worrying.
A recent study in Nature’s Scientific Reports shows that the number of hours of sunshine has been steadily going down in most places of India over the past 30 years.
Scientists from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) looked at sunshine data from more than 20 weather stations in nine different parts of India from 1988 to 2018.
The results indicate that India’s solar exposure has significantly diminished across the majority of regions, with the exception of the northeast, which exhibits slight seasonal stabilization.
The steepest drop happens in North India.
The study found that the northern plains lost the most sunshine each year, about 13.1 hours, followed by the West Coast, which lost 8.6 hours each year.
The East Coast lost about 4.9 hours a year, whereas the Himalayan region lost about 9.5 hours a year. The Deccan Plateau and central inland areas lost 3.1 hours and 4.7 hours of daylight each year, respectively.
Sunshine hours went up from October to May, but they dropped drastically in June and July, which is when the monsoon season starts. But the northern interior and Himalayan areas had a different pattern, with monthly trends that were contrary to those in other locations.
Why is India getting less sun?
The researchers say that the fewer hours of sunshine are due to more air pollution, more clouds, and more emissions from factories. Tiny particles from cars, burning biomass, and factories can scatter and absorb sunlight, which keeps it from reaching the earth. This is known as “global dimming.”
The scientists noted, “The study shows that sunshine hours are steadily decreasing across the Indian subcontinent on all time scales, except for the northeastern region, where there was only a slight seasonal leveling off.”
It is also thought that larger monsoon clouds and the buildup of aerosols from human activities have made the trend stronger throughout the years.
Effects on solar energy and farming
Experts say that the drop in sunlight might have a big effect on India’s goals for renewable energy. Solar energy is a key part of the country’s clean energy ambition, so less sunlight might make solar panels less efficient and slow down progress toward sustainability goals.
Also, less sunshine could hurt food yields, especially for plants that need photosynthesis to grow. Less exposure to sunshine could mean reduced harvests, which would hurt food security in areas that are already sensitive to climate change.
The results add to worries about climate change, air quality, and pollution in cities, which are all changing India’s weather and energy patterns.