Dry spell, forest fires: Himachal rural areas in distress amidst unprecedented tourist rush

By Bharat Dogra*
Reports of water shortages and forest fires have been appearing all through the month of April in Himachal Pradesh. It is ironical that the tourist rush to popular hill-stations like Shimla, Manali and Kasauli increased heavily during this month, even though increasing sufferings of local villagers were reported.
According to rainfall data, the rainfall from March 1 to April 23 this year (2022) was just 7 per cent of the norm for this period, a fall of around 93 per cent. Due to this agriculture as well as horticulture have suffered a lot.
Whether it is apple or stone fruit orchards or the farms growing vegetables and grains, loss to a lesser or greater extent has been reported from everywhere. Drinking water shortage has been reported not just from remote villages but also from leading cities like Solan and Shimla. In Solan the situation was aggravated by mysterious appearance of some polluting agents as well as cases of water pipes bursting and spilling a lot of water.
Water pollution is an increasing problem even as water scarcity is becoming more acute. Many water sources are already in a precarious condition and despite so many water schemes being implemented water scarcity is today a major issue for many villages as a result of the prolonged dry spell. For some ponds tanker supply had to be arranged to save fish from dying.
Forest fires have become a serious menace already at an early stage of the summer. From April 1 to 24, as many as 449 forest fires have been reported, affecting 3,209 hectares of forest land. In addition there are other smaller fires which do not make it to official records.
Particularly worrying have been fires closer to very densely populated Shimla, such as fires of Taradevi, Rajhana, Panjri and Kachighati. Pine monocultures and their fallen needle-like leaves are the most susceptible to fire.
Although still there is hope of rains providing relief in the near future, preparations to face possible prolonging of dry conditions have started. A call has been given to nearly 1,800 youth to extend their cooperation in extinguishing of fires and protection of forests.
While some of these official efforts are welcome, the dry spell has exposed some of the glaring distortions and weaknesses of the development effort. While in terms of pipelines and taps installation the progress of drinking water schemes may be impressive, in terms of actual protection of water sources the condition in not good as reports of excessive sand mining and pollution continue to appear from time to time. The natural flow of Satluj and some other rivers is being harmed by excessive hydro project construction.
Much has been said about removing pine leaves in a big way for use in various products but their huge felling on ground continues to be a problem in the rapid spread of forest fires.
The task of evolving a system of forest protection based on close cooperation of government and village communities is really needed but has not progressed adequately.
On the other hand introducing exotic species and plant material in orchards has been encouraged which will make it more difficult for them to withstand the harsher and warmer conditions brought by climate change. The craze for introducing exotic species appears to be increasing ignoring the reality of having more hardy local species.

Particularly worrying have been fires closer to very densely populated Shimla, such as fires of Taradevi, Rajhana, Panjri and Kachighati

The higher emphasis on dams and hydro projects, on pipelines and highway projects and on exotic trees and crops can be counter-productive when basic natural resources are not protected, when rivers and springs and other water resources are getting depleted and polluted, when orchards and farms re becoming more vulnerable to spells of hotter and more dry weather.
These distortions were reflected in a rather amusing controversy which was reported recently in media in the context of a World Bank funded Rs 1,134 crore project on horticulture and orchards.
Controversy erupted in Himachal Pradesh when 34 officials reportedly decided to go abroad to learn from horticultural practices abroad. Some of the bigger and richer orchard owners said that they too wanted to go abroad as a part of this visit to orchards in distant lands.

In the tussle over finding a place in the foreign trip, at public cost of course, what was ignored was that instead of spending on the foreign travel and hospitality of so many persons, it would be much better to meet the pressing needs of several small orchard owners.
The recent dry spell with its alarmingly low (compared to the norm for this time of the year) rainfall as well as the spurt of forest fires point towards a climate change type of situation. In fact in some of the plain region parts of the Himalayan state, even heat wave type conditions were reported for a few days.

To cope with the difficult times ahead, a much better and wider response of climate change adaptation as well as overall ecologically protective policies and practices is needed.
---
*Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. Recent books include ‘Planet in Peril' and ‘India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food'

Comments

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat." In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

Biden urged to warn Modi: US can declare India as worst religious freedom offender

By Our Representative During a Congressional Briefing held on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, Nadine Maenza, former Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has wondered why the Biden administration should raise issues of mass anti-minority mob violence -- particularly in Haryana and Manipur -- with Modi. Modi should be told that if such violence continues, the US will be “compelled by law” to designate India as one of the world’s worst offenders of religious freedom, she urged.

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Why iconic Urdu book stall, publishing house Maktaba Jamia died an 'unnatural' death

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed* We have all grown through the fragrant flavours and flairs of our childhood, one of them being our childhood mother-tongue historic magazines like, “Thakurmar Jhuli” (Bengali), “Khilauna”, Payam-e-Taleem" (Urdu), “Hans” (Marathi), “Parag” (Hindi), “Chitralekha” (Gujarati), “Chandamama” (Telugu), etc. I “drank” Urdu while suckling his mother and learnt the language not from any madrasa, school or college but from these publications only — my treasure trove!

Asset managers hold '2.8 times more equity' in fossil fuel cos than in green investments

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi* The world’s largest asset managers are far off track to meet the 2050 net zero commitments , a new study released by InfluenceMap , a London-based think tank working on climate change and sustainability, says. Released on August 1, the Asset Managers and Climate Change 2023 report by FinanceMap, a work stream of InfluenceMap, finds that the world’s largest asset managers have not improved on their climate performance in the past two years.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Evading primary responsibility, ONGC decides to invest Rs 15,000 crore in sick subsidiary

By NS Venkataraman* It is reported that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will infuse about Rs 15,000 crore in ONGC Petro-additions Ltd (OPaL) as part of a financial restructuring exercise. ONGC currently holds 49.36 per cent stake in (OPaL), which operates a mega petrochemical plant at Dahej in Gujarat. GAIL (India) Ltd has 49.21 per cent interest and Gujarat State Petrochemical Corporation (GSPC) has the remaining 1.43 per cent.

Sales, profits of Indian firms 'deteriorate', yet no significant increase in cost pressures

By Our Representative The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad's (IIM-A's) latest Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES), a monthly exercise, has said that while cost perceptions data does not indicate significant increase of cost pressures, sales and profits of the Indian firms have deteriorated.

Why Bangladesh is achieving 'new heights' amidst economic collapse of Pakistan

By Sufian Siddique* Pakistan's economy is on the brink of bankruptcy like Sri Lanka's. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves have fallen below $3 billion. They have asked the IMF for a 'bailout loan' a long time ago, but the IMF is trying to impose strict conditions that Pakistan's current ruling coalition has no capacity to meet. Even China and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan's long-standing loyal friends, are now reluctant to shoulder Pakistan's burden.

Search This Blog