Concrete flaws

Himachal Pradesh’s beautiful and priceless rivers are facing a new threat in their ongoing battle against ‘development’. First, roads were hacked out in their valleys, dumping tens of millions of tonnes of earth and debris into their waters, constricting their flow and devastating aquatic life. Then came the hydel projects, extinguishing whatever little aquatic life was left, drying up the waters, and causing floods downstream. Now there’s a new threat and, ironically, it is the very sector and activity they nurture — tourism.

As tourism expands into the remote interiors of the state under the indulgent and sightless gaze of the state government, its tentacles are snaking their way up the river valleys, bringing with them the same mercenary ruthlessness that has destroyed the state’s urban centres. Haphazard constructions — hotels, homestays, guest houses, dhabas, workshops — are coming up all along these rivers, sometimes even on the riverbeds and their flood plains, obscuring the lovely views of rivers, dumping muck in them, discharging their sewage directly into the flowing waters, narrowing their channels.

There are very few rivers left that are relatively undisturbed by this ravaging. Having travelled (on foot) to practically all of them, I can count and name them on one hand — the Tirthan, Pubber, Uhl, Baspa, Chandrabhaga, Parvati (above Pulga), Rupen. Unless the government, particularly the departments of Forest, Town and Country Planning (TCP), Fisheries and Tourism as well as the Deputy Commissioners, wake up urgently, the days of these rivers are numbered.

The Tirthan in Kullu district is perhaps the last of the relatively untouched rivers, because most of its course lies in the Great Himalayan National Park. It is also the final bastion of the endangered free roaming rainbow trout. Sadly, however, it has been discovered by tourism and dozens of hotels and homestays have started springing up along its length below Gushaini, most of them ‘benami’.

A photograph of a typical construction that is going on there even as I write this has been sent to me by some friends there. This massive construction (it’s a hotel) has occupied almost two-thirds of the width of the riverbed, leaving just a narrow channel for the river to squeeze through. The problems it presents are obvious to all, except perhaps the government agencies that are supposed to prevent this.

The obstruction caused by the structure will alter the course of the river, deflecting the water to the opposite bank and eroding it and washing away the orchards clearly visible in the photo. Any flood in the river will pose a grave danger to this building and its residents. The entire sewage and grey water from this building has no other way to go but to be discharged into the Tirthan, no matter what its owners may say.

It doesn’t matter if the construction is on private land — it is on the riverbed, interferes with the flow of the river which should have the first right of way, will cause pollution in a river the locals consider as holy as the Ganga, and poses a threat to life. The locals have been protesting against this ongoing construction, but as usual, money and influence talk louder.

How are these types of constructions being allowed to come up? Is it even legal under the stringent land ownership laws of the state, debarring outsiders from owning land here? Has it obtained TCP and Pollution Control Board approvals, and if so, how were these granted in the face of the obvious implications on safety and the environment? The Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, and the departments concerned need to address these questions. (I learn that a temporary stay has been issued by the Forest Department, but that is not enough).

Similar constructions are happening along all the rivers. After the floods of 2022-23, the government has taken some decisions about banning constructions on the flood plains of the Beas. This is not enough. Similar action should be taken for all the rivers in the state, at least the ones mentioned above, which are under grave threat. Any type of construction (regardless of land ownership) should be prohibited within at least 50 metres of the river bank, or up to its HFL (high flood level). It is imperative that an Eco Zone be declared along the entire length of these rivers under the Environmental Protection Act, on the pattern of National Parks.

Before granting approvals, thorough scrutiny should be made of the land title to rule out ‘benami’ deals. It is common knowledge that this is rampant in the Tirthan valley. Himachal’s rivers are its most precious assets, especially given the prospect of the looming water shortages in the coming decades. They should not be destroyed for commercial profits.

— The writer is a retired IAS officer