Development and Himalayas - A Time for Reflection

The Forests in Hassan Valley in Himachal Pradesh
Photo Credit- Wikimedia Commons by Darshan Simha 

One of the complexities faced by Indian society is the apparent though not necessarily the logical contradiction between development and environment. The decisions pertaining to exploitation of natural resources are political and administrative and are hence reversible, but the consequences particularly environmental are irreversible and may cause inevitable self destruction.

The Himalayas are threatened by accumulation of more stresses and the development projects of Himachal Pradesh need to be more openly discussed amongst the concerned and aware members of the public.

 The major resources of this hilly region which come to mind are timber, minerals, water and natural beauty. It was the British who exploited the timber wealth of the region to feed the insatiable appetite of Indian Railways for sleepers. But now the indisputable primacy of the Himalayas and the Indo- Gangetic plains is appreciated by all for the need of forests. Different groups have come forward to guard this ruthless exploitation, but little awareness prevails around other resources.

The judiciary was approached for reckless exploitation of the mining of limestone in Dehradoon valley. And those moning activities were shifted to the neighbouring hills of Sirmour district in Himachal Pradesh, but again the judiciary had to step in.

The manufacture of cement is a desirable, profitable and necessary industrial activity, but the cost of environmental and social disaster in setting up Cement plants in an ecologically hypersensitive region such as Himalayas and the adjoining Shivalik Hills should be evaluated.

The abundance of raw material and power would ensure the profitability in financial terms and the technology might reduce the pollution, but the mining activities gnawing into the very vitals of an already unstable Eco-system could in a ling run affect not only the lives of the hill people but would also be hazardous for the agrarian heartland of the Indian sub- continent.

The supporters of the massive dams and the hydroelectric projects are rich powerful and better organized for juggling with the statistics and masterly manipulation of the issues to make it appear as a conflict between the larger common interest of the country against the selfish regionalism of few opponents and conservative environmentalists has helped them gain considerable ground.

Yet it is a fact that many of ancient towns and some of the best agricultural lands in the hills lie along the river belts. Mega hydroelectric projects now threaten and have submerged the Himalayan countryside. Yesterday it was Bilaspur and its lands today it is Tihri and then it will be some other place.

The natural beauty as a resource is the most amenable to self- exploitation. The employment opportunities would undoubtedly be generated by tourism, but comparatively few local people in Himachal Pradesh have the requisite finance and entrepreneurial skills to become anything more than taxi or truck drivers not owners, while most of the remaining people might remain helpers in hotels.

The ecological consequences of tourism may not be very severe, but they do exist nonetheless. Despite the ban the polythene bags and tin cans have come to stay in mountain resorts. It may sound unbelievable, but many of the landslides in Shimla begin originally as garbage slides.

The hill society like the mountains is fragile one. Its ability to withstand the social tensions is restricted by its relatively small size and the low ecological threshold to which the natural resources of its surroundings can be safely exploited. Never before in history has such a great financial, administrative and technological power been concentrated in the hands of the state and never before has the survival of the society been so urgently entwined with the ecological question.

It is not the opposition to all form of development that would unforgivably be antediluvian. 

Hill Culture Under Pressure 

The lush green valleys are turning into deserts with no sign of vegetation. Commercialising of horticulture, consumerism and illicit felling of trees have deprived Himachal Pradesh of its greenery. The villages are now reduced to fuel, fodder and water source areas. The cash crops has slackened the ecological health of hills with more lands brought under cultivation. The snowfall is rare in lower hills and the rains are becoming scarce and scattered.

With overall transition, the scientific and cultural values are at loggerheads. The state has become a scapegoat of populist development programs. The government and the people are badly calculating the output not the outcome. The consumerism has uprooted ancient customs and traditions which has direct relationship with ecological and environmental conservation. With this gait the lush green valleys will become hill deserts at the end of 21^st century due to the continuous exploitation of its alreasy exploited resources.

The people of the upcoming vegetable and cash crop belts, the apple growing areas together with mining and quarrying areas face acute shortage of fuel, fodder and water. The poorly planned concrete jungles at Shimla, Solan, Bilaspur, Kangra and Una districts are the indices of new development projects swamping the green and reserve forests.  The business- politics nexus wants to raise kitchen gardens in a garden state. A new class of horticulture entrepreneurs consisting of businessmen, farmer, bureaucrats, politicians, power-brokers, small industrialists from the plains and even the money lenders has brought money making skills and moreover apple has brought prosperity in hills as a result.

In pursuit of raising new orchards, new forest land was explored with long term efforts of deforestation. Small timber retailers and saw-mill operators consist of main forest maifia. The traditional agricultural and allied activities gave way to horticulture. Now the womenfolk of the vollages devote more time to collect scarce fuel and fodder. Deforestation of land for raising orchards and to secure wood for apple boxes and illicit felling has increased soil erosion too.

This ecological and environment crisis has green impetus to migration of rural poor to upcoming suburbs and towns. The womenfolk left behind in villages has to cope with increased workload. The girls are still deprives of education.

The dairy farming has become un-remunerative due to acute shortage of fodder. With the advent of television the typical hill culture too has fallen victim to it. The new scientific development has brought about a change in the attitude of masses; as the tree worship in rural areas, prohibition of the use of the drinking water for irrigation and self imposed ban on hunting certain wild animals was a moral way of conserving the nature. Deforestation, mining, quarrying and politics-forest mafia nexus has brought about a catastrophic change.

The social get together and discourses are becoming a thing of past, for want of leisure. The household folk arts like handicrafts, woodwork etc., are becoming extinct. The urban market has penetrated the traditional art and craft. The rural women are the great victims and more than 60% of girls drop out of middle standard and less than 10-15 % reach the secondary levels.