Lucknow, 31 Mar 2008

Despite hundreds of crores of rupees being spent to clean the Ganga, the lifeline of north India, pollution levels in the river have reached septic levels at certain points with dissolved oxygen dropping to alarmingly low levels. “In Varanasi alone, the seven km stretch from upstream Assi Ghat to Varuna Sangam, pollution has reached septic levels and we have data to prove this point,” Hydraulic expert and Professor Vir Bhadra Misra said.

Prof Misra said that the samples tested by the laboratories set up under the ‘Clean Ganga Campaign’ of the Sankat Mochan foundation, of which he is the head, show that the river is dirty in the upstream Assi Ghat area and by the time it reaches Varuna Sangam, it attains septic levels. “We had set up these labs along the river ever since it was claimed by the authorities that the water in the river has been cleaned following the Ganga Action Plan,” the former Civil Engineering Department head at the Banaras Hindu University said.

Prof Misra, who was recently honoured by the Council of Science and Technology with Vigyan Ratna award, said he had formulated a plan for the Varanasi Nagar Nigam way back in 1995 to clean the river using low cost gravitational force method to stop inflow of domestic sewage into the river. Sewage inflow is one of the main causes for pollution.

The river is getting polluted at Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi where it is considered as lifeline and is very sacred. More than 20 drains fell in Ganges at Kanpur, 32 in Varanasi and 40 in Allahabad.

News Source: http://www.hindu.com

30 Mar 2008

River rafting and camping along the Ganga in Uttarakhand is leaving behind a trail of negative socio-cultural impacts, cautions a study on the subject.

‘Tourism needs to be sensitive to local environmental and cultural norms and beliefs for it to be accepted by the local people and promote sustainable development,’ argues a study published in Current Science, a journal brought out in Bangalore.

Before 1996, there were just two river camping sites – at Kaudiyala-Shivpuri and Byasi, 35 km upstream from Rishikesh – owned by the Uttar Pradesh government’s Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam. Besides, there were two private river campaign sites, at Brahmpuri and Shivpuri.

‘River rafting and camping along the Ganga between Byasi and Shivpuri in Uttarakhand is only about 15 years old, and the mushrooming of new camping sites is a recent phenomenon,’ says the study by Nehal A. Farooquee, Tarun K. Budal and R.K. Maikhuri of the Almora-based G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development.

‘Negative socio-cultural impacts include increased out-migration, frustration among the youth and cultural degeneration,’ it says.

It concedes that tourism has however meant income generation, employment opportunities from camping and rafting, infrastructure and social development.

‘Though a majority of the villagers are in favour of such activities because they draw direct and indirect economic benefit from them, one section felt that there was more damage done to the environment and that their traditional social and cultural fabric was being threatened.’

It points out there are restrictions in place to protect the environment – wood to be procured from authorised sources, non-use of detergents for clothes and utensils and surprise inspections of camps.

But camp operators violate rules by using more area of the beach than allotted and making toilets near the living tents, close to the sand bank.

More people entering the region is heightening the ecological imbalance, suggests the study.

‘The widening of the existing Badrinath-Rishikesh highway, the increasing vehicular movement on this road, and construction of houses, shops and hotels have added to the ecological disturbance,’ it says.

Popular campsites are found to impact the vegetation, soil compaction and existing water channels.

Wildlife has got displaced due to the ‘bright colours of tents, toilet tents, rafts and loud music and lights in and around campsites’, adds the study.

One survey found that animals used to be frequently spotted by the riverside earlier but are now not visible ‘for months’, especially during the camping and rafting season. On the other hand, there are more monkeys and wild boars foraging for leftovers at campsites.

‘The quantum of garbage generated by tourists at Shivpuri, Singtalli and Brahmpuri is a major concern and needs immediate quantification,’ says the study.

It points out that the traditional exchange of livestock and grains and maintenance of animal diversity by these villagers ‘has also suffered drastically’.

Says the study: ‘A few villages also find it difficult to cremate dead bodies, as they are located near the camp sites.’

It adds: ‘It is interesting to note that the villagers find more negative impacts than positive ones, and have concluded that in due course their status would be reduced to daily-wage labourers from farmers.’

‘Tourism on the banks of the river Ganga has become a double-edged activity due to the heavy influx of tourists and lack of proper implementation of rules and regulations,’ says the study.

Current Science comes out in collaboration with the Indian Academy of Sciences. It is intended as a medium for ‘communication and discussion of important issues that concern science and scientific activity’ with a primarily Indian focus.

News Source: http://newspostindia.com

30 Mar 2008

Uttarakhand government is giving prime importance to the protection of state’s dwindling environmental resources.

And, following the example of Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, the state government has funded four additional task forces for the purpose.

So, soldiers in Uttarakhand are on a mission to protect their motherland. But, instead of guns, they are carrying spades.

And that is all they need to keep their state green.

However, for the past 25 years, two infantry ecological battalions have already been posted at Garhwal and Kumaon.

But soon, there will be about 400 more men joining them on the job.

”If you recruit ex-servicemen belonging to Uttarakhand, they’ll be trained, physically fit and will be able to work better in their area,” said Additional Director General Territorial Army, V K Datta, describing the initiative.

The move is getting good response. ”We are happy that ex-servicemen will get a second career option and that they will join us in protecting the environment,” said soldier Balwant Singh.

The eco soldiers have already planted nearly 50 lakh trees and now they are ready for more.

The state government is also supporting the move. ”The eco task force has done a commendable job from sowing saplings and nurturing trees. I believe that it will be in the best interest of the State if we involve such dedicated people for forestation,” said B C Khanduri, Chief Minister Uttarakhand.

The whole project has proved once again that once a soldier, always a soldier. Whether he is on the front or on the field.

News Source: http://www.ndtv.com

Dehradun, 30 Mar 2008

With alarm bells ringing over the rapid melting of glaciers in the Himalayas, the Uttarakhand government has now decided to regulate tourist flow to protected areas of Gangotri National Park, including Gomukh.

The government would now restrict the number of tourists visiting Gomukh and other Gangotri glaciers, the origin of the holy river Ganga, to only 150 per day.

From the next season beginning in April, the new regulations would come into effect, said Chief Forest Conservator of Uttarakhand B S Barfal.

“Concerns have been expressed over the unregulated number of tourists visiting Gomukh where glacier are receding fast. We have now decided to restrict the number of tourists to the area to only 150 per day,” said Barfal.

Official sources said Kawadias, devotees of Lord Shiva, have been thronging Gangotri area during the last decade. On a single day in the annual Kanwad season (July-August), nearly 2,000 to 3,000 Kawadias visit the area, causing ecological concerns.

Besides restricting the number of tourists to 150, the entry of mules and horses has also been banned in Gangotri area, Barfal said. To discourage tourists from visiting Gangotri regularly, the entry fee is also being hiked.

The decision to restrict tourists to Gomukh came after a new report prepared by Dehradun-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) found that the glaciers were receding at the rate of 17 to 23 metres per year.

The report was recently submitted to the government. “Our study has found that glaciers are melting at a rapid speed,” said B R Arora, the Director of WIHG.

News Source: http://www.hindu.com

27 Mar 2008

River Ganga in Uttarakhand offers uncommon environmental diversity, impressive scenery and an outstanding adventurous and wilderness experience. All these attributes have contributed towards wild land based recreation along its course.

A prospective study, claimed to be the first of its type by its author, Dr Nehal A. Farooquee of the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development (Garhwal unit) -to asses the impact of white water rafting and camping on the socio-environmental issues in an around the camping and sports sites has brought startling facts- overlooked by the administration and planners so far -to the forefront.

In an exclusive interview to Hindustan Times Dr Farooquee reveals that in between Kaudiyala and Rishikesh along the Badrinath highway “where river rafting and camping along the river Ganga is a recent phenomenon, just 15 years old,” the number of camping sites “has shot up from 4 in 1996 to over 45, with 1,83,570 sq m of area allotted to them.” He further informs that all camp operators have been using “more area of the beach than what is actually allotted to them.

Though toilets are permitted in the form of dry pit tanks situated 60 m away from the sand back of the river beach yet most of them are situated not more than 10 m from the sand back or even right on the sand itself within the submergence level of the Ganga during the monsoons. Similarly campfire too takes place whenever the tourists are present.

News Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/hindustantimes/

27 Mar 2008
By Raju Gusain

THE QUEEN of the Hills, as Mussoorie is fondly known, has retained its status as the most popular hill station of the Indian Himalayas.

Despite a mere 1 per cent growth in last year, Mussoorie was ahead of Kullu- Manali, Shimla, Darjeeling, Nainital and Ladakh in the popularity charts. According to last years tourism data on Indias six most- visited hill stations in the Indian Himalayas, collected from state tourism departments, Mussoorie drew 20,95,823 tourists. Kullu- Manali followed with 20,65,078, Shimla with 17,55,828, Darjeeling with 6,78,190, Nainital with 589,516, and Ladakh with 50,185 tourists. The growth in weekend tourism has changed the face of the Queen of the Hills.

Writer Ruskin Bond, who has lived in Mussoorie, says, “ In the past, most tourists used to stay for a longer period, sometimes, even for three months. Royal families used to visit and stay for long, leisurely periods. But now, people generally visit the hill station during weekends. Till the 60s, the peak tourist season in Mussoorie used to be from April to October. But now it is an allyear- round destination.” But Mussoorie does not have a growth record to match. Darjeeling made the most impressive growth among hill stations in the Indian Himalayas. While the town in West Bengal showed 32 per cent growth in 2007, Ladakh saw a growth of 15 per cent, Shimla 6 per cent and Kullu- Manali and Nainital 5 per cent each. In comparison, Mussoories 1 per cent growth was well below expectations.

Subhash Goyal, former president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, says, “ Mussoorie attracts a big crowd as it is located near New Delhi. After the formation of a separate state — Uttarakhand — the hill station has started getting additional visitors. People visiting Dehra Dun, usually visit Mussoorie, too. In the 50s, the annual turn out of visitors in Mussoorie used to be below 2 lakh. Now, it has grown tenfold to cross 20 lakh.

The splendours of Mussoorie — a captivating view of the snow- capped Himalayas, stunning sights of the Doon valley, walks down Mall Road and a ropeway ride to Gun Hill — make it one of the hottest weekend destinations. The tourist season used to last for months from May to July and October- November between 1950 and 1979. But after 1984, things changed drastically and the tourism season began to expand. The last eight years have recorded over 50,000 visitors each month, thus making Mussoorie a round the year tourist destination. ON A HIGH: Mussoorie has become a favourite weekend destination for tourists from Delhi, UP and Haryana.

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