Environmental Risks and Ecological Degradation in the Himalayas Due to Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects
The Himalayan region is facing an 'ecocide' due to aggressive infrastructure projects like the Char Dham Road Widening. In 2025, climate-induced disasters caused over 4,000 deaths in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The article criticizes the 'translocating' of ancient Devdaar trees, which is ecologically flawed. Projects often bypass Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and use improper road-width standards, leading to slope instability and landslides. The vulnerability of the Himalayas is increasing as high-altitude areas warm 50% faster than the global average. Disaster resilience must take precedence over ideological or economic necessity.
Key Points
- The Devdaar (Deodar) forests are crucial for soil stability, flood prevention, and maintaining the ecology of the Ganga river.
- High-altitude Himalayan regions are warming 50% faster than the global average since 1950.
- The National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) was established under the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
- Infrastructure projects often ignore the 'angle of repose' of Himalayan geology, leading to chronic instability.
Exam Facts
- Over 4,000 deaths occurred due to climate disasters in the Himalayas in 2025.
- The NMSHE was approved in 2014.
- High-altitude warming is 50% faster than the global average.
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