CALL FOR HIMALYAN NARRATIVE AND HIMALYAN WAY OF LIFE

Date: 8^th June 2026

Venue: India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

EXPERTS  FROM ALL OVER THE ELEVEN STATES /UTS  HAVE EXPRESSED DEEP CONCERN ON ADVERSE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HUMAN LIFE AND ECOLOGY DUE TO  DIRECTIONLESS, UNSCIENTIFIC AND COMMUNITY INSENSITIVE MODEL OF GROWTH IN HIMALYAS .

UNCONTROLLED AND UNREGULATED TOURISM IS HURTING SENSIBILITIES OF LOCAL POPULATION AND TURNING OUR RIVERS /FORESTS INTO GARBAGE DUMPS .THE TRADITIONAL SPIRITUAL SANCTITY OF SHRINES IS LOST IN THE DIN OF LOUD MUSIC ,ROUWDY BEHAVIOUR WITH NO RESPECT TO LOCAL TRADITIONS .

THESE OBSERVATIONS WERE HIGHLIGHTED IN ONE DAY CONSULTATIONS JOINTLY ORGANISED BY IMI AND SYSTEMIQ a LONDON BASED NGO WORKING GLOBALY ON CLIMATE CHANGE .

OPENING THE DISCUSSIONS SH SUSHIL RALOLA FORMER PRESIDENT IMI CALLED UPON NITI AYOG TO PUT I PLACE A NATIONAL POLICY ON HIMALYAN TOURISM IN CONSONENCE WITH LOCAL TRADITIONS AND COMMUNITY SENSIBILITIES .

SH VK JAIN FORMER ADVISOR NITI AYOG EMPHASISED UPON HIMALYAN NARRATIVE WHICH SHOULD REDEFINE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMICS WITH HIMALYAN PERSPECTIVE GIVING PRECEDENCE TO CONSERVATION ,ECOLOGY AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES OVER SHEER PROFIT.

SH PD RAI FORMER MP SIKKIM HIGHLIGHTED DEMOGRAPHIC DECLINE IN IHR AND POSSIBILITY OF SOCIAL CONFLICT WITH UNAVOIDABLE IN MIGRATION OF LABOUR AND LOWER TECHNICAL STAFF.

SH RAMESH NEGI PRESIDENT IMI INSISTED UPON RE ACTIVATING COUNCIL OF HIMALYAN STATES WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2018 TO BRING ALL IHR ON COMMON POLICY PLATFORM ,BUT HAS REMAINED DORMANT TILL TODAY .

HE FURTHER EMPHASISED UPON SPECIFIC CONSTRUCTION CODE FOR HIMALYAS TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALL PROJECT IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES .

SH AMBA ZAMIR  FROM NAGALAND LAMENTED THE IGNORANCE OF DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES ABOUT LOCAL TRADITION AND AGE OLD PRAGMATIC AND ECOFRIENDLY PRACTICES . UNDERSTANDING OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND THEIR PARTICIPATION IS MOST FUNDAMENTAL AND MASS PLANTAIONS CAMPAIGNS FOR RUBBER AND PALM OIL PLANTATIONS NEED SERIOUS REVIEW .

MS ARUSHI CHOPRA TEAM LEADER FROM SYSTEMIQ PRESENTED A BLUE PRINT OF SUSTAINABLE INVETIBLE PROJECTS WHERE PRIVATE PARTICIPATION WITH COMMUNITY CAN BE ACHIEVED DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE BASIC STRUCTURE OF SUSTAINABILTY ,CONSERVATION AND CONSENSUS .

PARTICIPANTS ALSO PROPOSED THAT INDIAN IMALAYAN REGION (IHR) STATES SHOULD INITIATE DIALOGUE WITH DOWNSTREEM STATES AS THE ARE BENEFICIARIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY HIMALYAS ,SUCH AS WATER AND SOIL NUTRIENTS FLOWING TO PLAINS . AS SUCH A NATIONAL COALITION OF IHR STATES AND DOWNSTREAM STATES COULD BE A VIABLE PLATFORM TO DISCUSS STRATEGIES FOR WATER MANAGEMENT AND FLOODS PREVENTION AND MITIGATION.

CONSULATION WAS ATTENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF IHR STATES , NITI AYOG ,ICIMOD, UNDP,INDIAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY AND INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENT PRACTITIONERS.

Dikila Bhutia

Program Manager

Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI)

Email: progmanager@inmi.in

Ph: 8617018871