In the sacred high-altitude zones of the Himalayas, local residents and environmentalists are raising an urgent alarm over what they describe as a “tsunami of destruction” driven by government-backed infrastructure projects. From the construction of multi-story hotels to the use of heavy machinery in revered pilgrimage sites, communities are alleging that their fragile ecosystem and spiritual heritage are being sacrificed for the benefit of a few corporations.
Sacred Peaks Under Siege
Local residents describe a profound shift in the revered landscape. While protests against ongoing development are frequent, they claim the government is ignoring their pleas and approving new projects daily. The Badrinath Dham, at 10,000 feet, is seeing the construction of a massive corridor, and a helipad is being built at Hemkund Sahib, located at a staggering 16,000 feet.
According to ancient beliefs, high Himalayan meadows are places of deep respect where even a loud noise or footwear is forbidden. Now, these areas are filled with heavy machinery and four-story buildings. The protests are rooted in a deep-seated spiritual connection, with residents viewing peaks like Nanda Devi not just as a place for foreign climbers, but as a “mother” deserving of protection.
Disaster in the Name of Development
The adverse effects of these projects are no longer theoretical; they are now evident in a series of natural disasters. A prime example is the Char Dham project, a flagship initiative aimed at improving road connectivity to four pilgrimage sites. Despite its massive scale, the project was arbitrarily divided into 53 smaller parts, allowing it to bypass the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
Geologists have reported a devastating increase in landslide-prone zones along the Rishikesh-Badrinath route, which has jumped from just 5-6 to a staggering 46 since the project began. Similarly, the Rishikesh-Karnprayag railway project has led to large cracks appearing in homes along its tunnel route, forcing residents to abandon their houses.
Past experience with hydropower projects has shown that altering river flow exacerbates floods, as tragically seen in the 2013 Kedarnath disaster, the 2021 Rishiganga disaster, and the 2023 floods in Himachal Pradesh.
A Call for Political Prioritization
For the people of the Himalayas, environmental issues are not just a matter of policy; they are a matter of survival. Yet, environmental protection and disaster management are often absent from political manifestos. The community is urging voters to prioritize these issues at the ballot box, believing that a shift in voter sentiment is the only way to compel political parties to move away from corporate-driven agendas and focus on the safety of local communities.
They propose mandatory disaster impact assessments for all large-scale projects and strict regulations to prevent debris from being dumped into rivers.
As the entire Himalayan region faces the compounding threat of climate change and rapid glacial melting, residents assert that this is no longer a local issue but a national one. They stress that the entire country must unite to protect the Himalayas, which have nourished the nation for centuries, and ensure that human greed does not lead to its destruction.