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C
O V E R S T O R
Y |
LIFE
ON COASTS |
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Why are mountains
STRIPPED?
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| Result? DISASTER |
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| The Chipko movement The roads are dangerous
also because they lead the com-mercial fellers right into the forests. And into the lives
of the people who live around them and are dependant on the resources for their rozi roti.
Let me tell you the story of the villagers living
in the hills of Uttaranchal in mid-1970’s, then a part of Uttar Pradesh. Dashauli
Gram Swarajya Mandal, a group of locals, led by their leader Chandi Prasad Bhatt had gone
to the state forest department asking for permission to cut a few ash trees to make farm
tools, like ploughs. They were turned down.
But then, the government decided to allot the trees to a
company that manufactured tennis racquets, called Syminds Co! Can you imagine the chagrin
of the locals? They wanted control over their forest wealth, and resented the way it was
being given away. So on March 27. 1973, Bhatt and his fol-lowers vowed to ‘hug the
trees (chipko!) to stop others from touching them! They were actually protecting
themselves.
"Our future is tied with the trees, "said
Bhatt. Many such Chipko are still being fought in India. Find them... |
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| Ravaged by TOURISTS |
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Eating into
the resources
Sadly, the worst enemies are the rampaging visitors (people like us) who invade the hill
every summer. Most of these small towns are not geared up to cater to so many people at
the sametime--so water shortage and power cuts become a permanent feature every peak
season. And of course the gigantic pile of garbage pro-duced by them
‘messes up’ the lives of the locals.
Streams and lakes get choked, and the civic authori-ties
reel under pressure..
Dumped! Sky High
 Mount
Everest-the highest peak in the world, has more recently, earned the dubious distinction
of being the world's highest junkyard! About 400 people attempt to reach the summit each
year and they leave behind a lot of junk. 50 tonnes of garbage has accumulated along the
southeast ridge. And another 10 tonnes, around Camp IV -the last camp on the way to the
summit. The refuse includes everything from 1,000 discarded oxygen tanks to the remains of
a helicopter, which crashed there in 1973. Harsh weather makes cleaning up a monumental
task. It takes an hour to bring out one used tent from under the snow. |
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