Himalayas under threat

Kulbhushan Upmanyu

Himachal Pradesh, the abode of gods, is under threat from natural calamities. Floods, droughts, glacial lakes’ outbursts and landslides are rampantly hitting the Himalayan slopes. Year after year, the intensity of these mishaps is increasing. We must have done something really wrong to annoy nature so much.

In the recent floods in Beas, the areas around Manali, Kullu and Mandi have been the worst hit. In Chamba, Bharmour has been cut off by the Ravi, washing away a part of the main road. Several deaths have been reported. Roads, pipelines, bridges, houses, hotels and other infrastructure stand damaged, causing a loss of more than Rs 3,000 crore.

Life will return to normal eventually, but erratic climatic conditions are wreaking havoc on livelihoods — horticulture, agriculture and the tourism industry. The latter is luring people to construct hotels and dhabas near the riverbeds, sometimes overlooking the safety factor. The unprecedented rains brought a huge amount of water mixed with debris to the river and washed away these constructions. Many houses in Pandoh were swept away due to the release of huge amounts of water from Larji and Pandoh dams. At the time of dam construction, their role in controlling floods was widely propagated, but the opposite is happening today.

In 1992, a committee formed by the Planning Commission under the chairmanship of Dr SZ Qasim had suggested an environment-friendly development model for this region, but nothing happened. Even the present Niti Aayog has formed a regional council for Himalayan states to ensure sustainable development. The council is supposed to monitor the implementation of action points identified in the five thematic reports released by the Niti Aayog in August 2018. The action points include river basin development and regional cooperation; spring mapping and revival of water security; development, implementation and monitoring tourism standards; and strengthening skill and entrepreneurship. However, the council does not seem to have brought much results on the ground.

Himachal is a poor state under a huge debt. It has been demanding a special package for maintaining its green cover to ensure its expenditure needs are met without the felling of green trees. The present government at the Centre has given special status to the state, which reduces the state’s share in Centre-initiated projects to 10 per cent. It is a big relief no doubt, but Central schemes don’t always cover local needs. There is a great need to define the activities not allowed in the Himalayan region and those preferred. Only that can ensure restriction of damaging environmental activities.

We cannot achieve sustainable development at the national level unless we are thankful to the Himalayas for what they provide — water, climate regulation and pure air.

— The writer is a noted environmentalist