Himachal Pradesh needs a policy and governance overhaul that prioritizes environmental sustainability and local communities
Article written by Manshi Asher published on 16/07/23 in Hindustan Times
As swollen rivers in Himachal Pradesh receded this week, and the state began accounting for the losses suffered, a meme began circulating. Barsaton mein pahad ghumne na aayen, kyunki pahad hi niche aa rahe hain – Don’t travel up the mountains in the monsoon because the mountains are coming down to visit you. Birthed by the alarming frequency and intensity of landslides and floods that have devastated the Himalayas monsoon after monsoon, the message was also a jibe at the frenetic tourism activity that has upended the local ecosystems. For a state saddled with fiscal debts, the struggle to generate revenues and employment has propelled extractive growth led by tourism and infrastructure development. In recent years, the Himalayas have become the site of multiple disasters that were attributed by various governments to erratic weather patterns spurred by the climate crisis. Yet, blaming excess rainfall or demonising flooding rivers cannot hide the development excesses and faulty planning that eroded the local capacity to weather climate vagaries.
