Palampur at the crossroads: Paradise in peril amid growing environmental strain

Blessed with remarkable natural beauty and nestled in the foothills of the majestic Dhauladhar ranges, Palampur — a small town in Himachal Pradesh — is an idyllic retreat for those seeking solace from the chaos of urban life. However, like many other hill stations, Palampur now finds itself on the brink of an ecological crisis, caught in the grip of a growing man-nature conflict.

Renowned for its salubrious climate, rolling green hills and beautifully manicured tea gardens, Palampur is facing the silent onslaught of deforestation. Majestic deodar trees are gradually vanishing, with little effort being made to replace them through systematic plantation drives. Meanwhile, unregulated mining and the reckless extraction of sand, stone and gravel are threatening vital infrastructure, including roads and residential colonies.

“Palampur currently has a population of around 60,000, which is expected to rise to 70,000 in the next five years. Indiscriminate human activity is pushing us to the brink of environmental disaster,” warn environmentalists who have long campaigned to preserve the town’s natural heritage.

“Palampur is a microcosm of the wider degradation taking place in our hills,” say KB Ralhan and Subhash Sharma, two local environmentalists who have been working for over two decades to protect the region’s fragile ecosystem. “The banks of the Neugal, Bhiral and Mol streams have widened drastically due to rampant illegal mining. Soil erosion, damage to agricultural land and frequent landslides have become disturbingly common. The poor enforcement of the polythene ban has worsened the situation, choking water channels and forest floors with non-biodegradable waste.”

Palampur MLA Ashish Butail also expressed grave concern. “We have a strong pool of professionals — scientists, engineers, civil servants — who have chosen to settle in Palampur. Their expertise must be harnessed through public-private partnerships to bring about lasting social and environmental change,” he says. “We have the ability to educate the public, assist the government and collaborate with organisations working for sustainable development.”

Interestingly, the very name ‘Palampur’ is believed to have originated from the local word ‘Ipulum’, meaning water — apt, considering the abundance of gurgling streams and brooks that crisscross the region. The town gained prominence in the 18th century when the British identified it as an ideal location for tea plantations.

While Palampur remains free of major industrial pollutants, thanks to the absence of large-scale industries, the lack of regulatory oversight continues to fuel water pollution and environmental decline — reminding us that even paradise, if neglected, can wither under the weight of human apathy.