Context: The Indian Himalayan Range (IHR), comprising 11 States and two Union Territories, had a decadal urban growth rate of more than 40% from 2011 to 2021. Towns have expanded, and more urban settlements are developing. However, Himalayan towns require a different definition of urbanisation.
Why Himalayan ecosystem is unique?
- These systems, with their steep slopes and sharp gradients, are heterogeneous and exhibit sharp and most often systemic changes in climatic variables over very short distances.
- These features consequently result into enhanced changes in hydrological processes, with accelerated direct runoff and erosion.
- Major rivers of the region have their origin from these mountains and are the source of water for a large proportion of the human population within and outside the mountain region.
- Many of the world’s crops originate in mountains, a crucial resource that should be conserved for sustaining modern agriculture.
- Natural wealth in the region, including geological assets, forms an important part of the Himalayan eco-system.
- All this has contributed to a whole range of diversity in indigenous human habitations, cultures and knowledge systems. The region is largely inhabited by indigenous societies.
What is happening to the Himalayan towns?
- Huge civic issues - For example, cities like Srinagar, Guwahati, Shillong, and Shimla, as well as smaller towns, face significant challenges in managing sanitation, solid and liquid waste, and water.
- Lack of institutional strength - Planning institutions in these States often fail because they use models copied from the plains and have only limited capacities to implement these plans. City governments are short of human resources by almost 75%.
- Unchecked expansion and consequent land use change - Cities continue to expand into the peripheries, encroaching on the commons of villages. Srinagar and Guwahati are examples of such expansion, leading to the plundering of open spaces, forest land, and watersheds. In Srinagar, land use changes between 2000 and 2020 showed a 75.58% increase. Water bodies have eroded by almost 25%.
- Complex mix of other factors - The IHR faces increasing pressure from urbanization and development, compounded by high-intensity tourism, unsustainable infrastructure, and resource use (land and water), further aggravated by climatic variations like changing precipitation patterns and rising temperatures. This has led to water scarcity, deforestation, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and increased pollution, including plastics. These pressures have the potential to disrupt lives and livelihoods, impacting the socio-ecological fabric of the Himalayas.
How Infrastructure is affecting the Himalayan region?
Infrastructure like dams, roads, hotels, industries etc are increasing the vulnerability of the Himalayan ecosystem in multiple ways. Joshimath crisis is one such example.
Following are the various impacts:
- Slope destabilization - Large scale construction of roads, hotels, powerhouses etc. involves blasting, quarrying, deforestation and muck disposal which loosens slopes and destabilizes them.
- Floods - Altered river flows reduce flood absorption, risks flash floods downstream (Uttarakhand disaster, 2013).
- Landslides - By disrupting underground streams and aquifers, tunnels can weaken slope stability leading to landslides (Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh 2022)
- Earthquakes – Huge pressure is exerted by the large structures of the dams which in turn create fractures and faults in the rocks below generating earthquakes. For e.g – Koyna dam.
- Erosion and desertification - Siltation in dams devoid the rivers of natural sediments. Soil downstream does not get enough nutrients and thus issues of soil erosion, desertification etc rises.
- Forced displacement - This destroys livelihood sources of indigenous communities further increasing their vulnerabilities.
What needs to be done?
- Continuous Monitoring of the Eco-system and Data Generation - Every town needs to be mapped, with layers identifying vulnerabilities from geological and hydrological perspectives.
- Ecological modelling and predicting climate change scenarios - Climate-induced disasters annually erode infrastructures built without such mapping and hence requires vulnerability assessment.
- Financial strengthening - none of the cities in the IHR can generate capital for their infrastructure needs. The Finance Commission must include a separate chapter on urban financing for the IHR.
- Promoting sustainable forestry, sustainable agriculture and food security.
- Promoting regional cooperation involving domestic states as well as neighbouring countries.
- Sustainable urbanization by waste management, traffic control, town planning and regulating tourism.
- Building environmental awareness among the citizens.