Losing the Himalayas: How Uttarakhand Struggles Against Climate Change & Mass Tourism
We had been walking for a month on the Kedarnath yatra route. Every few minutes in the mornings, the sky would resonate with a mechanical roar, which would be echoed back, amplified, by the mountain sides. This was the helicopter ferrying tourists on the Char Dham Yatra route. The tourists would disembark while the engine still ran, and the helicopter would immediately turn back. Evidently, the promise of profit had done away with the need to follow regulations in this sensitive terrain.
Thinking of the tourists who undertake religious pilgrimages in helicopters these days, we felt proud to be part of the communal journey that people have undertaken for centuries in this part of the Himalaya. The journey, made almost entirely on foot, took us through river valleys, bugyals (meadows), gadheras (seasonal river paths), chhaanis (temporary shelters for shepherds), waterfalls, and forests.
On the way back from Panwali Kantha bugyal, en route Ghuttu village in Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. June 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Umesh Pant
We trekked as part of a study of the geographical, cultural, social, and environmental changes in Uttarakhand, organised by the non-profit PAHAR (People’s Association for Himalaya Area Research) once in every 10 years. Started in 1974, the Askot Arakot Abhiyan led by the historian, activist, and editor Shekhar Pathak celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. The 45-day communal trek, with the theme “Srot se Sangam” (From the source to the confluence), started on May 25, 2024, from Pangu in Dharchula and ended at Arakot in Uttarakashi on July 8. Many smaller trips were held concurrently with the main yatra.
I joined the Askot Arakot Abhiyan at Munshiyari in Kumaon’s Johar Valley on May 30 and dropped off at Kamad in Garhwal’s Uttarkashi on June 27, after walking for nearly 500 kilometres. We walked through some 90 settlements—mostly remote villages interspersed with some small towns and urban areas—and crossed 15 river valleys. We also crossed high Himalayan meadows, some situated at 3,700 metres above sea level. The experience—tough climbs with blistered feet, knee-spraining descents, an endless search for water in the wilderness, sleeping and answering nature’s call in the open, and walking in rain or shine—turned us into resilient travellers.
Also Read | A walk in the woods
One of the highlights of this journey was taking the walking trails used by explorers such as the Jesuit missionary Bento de Góis (1562-1607), the explorer William Moorcroft (1767-1825), and Lord Curzon (1859-1925), former British Viceroy to India. No attempt has been made to conserve these trails, which were once used by Char Dham pilgrims too. Shepherds and mule herders still use these trails, but most of them are damaged now due to natural disasters and lack of maintenance.
The religion-centric Char Dham Yatra, conducted by the Uttarakhand government and the Char Dham Devasthanam Board, dominates Uttarakhand’s tourism initiatives at present. Since it brings in good money, all other forms of tourism have taken a back seat in the State.
A girl carrying fodder for livestock goes back home to Sain Rathi village in Munsiari block, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. June 2, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Umesh Pant
For example, very few have heard of the lush meadows of Manatoli and Minsin on the walking trail between Borbalada in Kumaon and Himni in Garhwal although they have immense tourism potential. River valleys such as Byans, Chaudas, Johar, Darma, and Nelang can be the sites of sustainable tourism. Kwari Pass, Panwali Kantha, Bijola, etc. can be excellent alternative tourism destinations. These untouched areas, if developed sustainably, will not only boost employment, but will also relieve the pressure from areas such as Kedarnath, Tungnath, and Badrinath.
Indelible damage
The damage done by climate change resulting from heedless development was evident all through our journey. We crossed villages like La and Jhekla, which had been destroyed in a cloudburst years ago. At Joshimath in Garhwal, we saw the cracked houses abandoned by residents. The local social activist Atul Sathi said: “There are around 2,000 villages in Uttarakhand that are no longer habitable as a result of natural or man-made disasters. The displaced people can easily be settled in the villages that have been rendered empty by migration. But the government isn’t concerned.”
“The experience—tough climbs with blistered feet, knee-spraining descents, an endless search for water in the wilderness, sleeping and answering nature’s call in the open, and walking in rain or shine— turned us into resilient travellers.”
Near a village called Pana in Chamoli, an old British-era bridge was demolished for road construction in 2014. A decade later in 2024, villagers were still waiting for a replacement bridge to connect them to the road. People in Kheta, Sain Rathi, and Hokra villages expressed concern about the limestone mining that has hollowed out the mountains in many places, endangering the existence of villages.
Between Seekh and Ala villages, we witnessed rocks being blown apart with gunpowder. Dust and debris from the blasts have disfigured the area. The haphazard disposal of debris also increases the risk of landslides. While the hills are being developed at a rapid rate, development in the form of education or awareness is still lacking among the local people, who hold on to superstitions and caste prejudices.
Villagers with participants of the Askot Arakot Abhiyan in 2014.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
We were told that women are socially isolated when they menstruate. “If we don’t do this, the entire family will get blisters and boils on their faces. Having food cooked by menstruating women results in a sin,” said a man in Hokra village.
Caste discrimination is also widespread. In Ragdi Sankri village, a gram pradhan from a marginalised caste said: “We are not allowed to offer prayers at the Bhagwati temple in our village, which, incidentally, has received the status of an Ambedkar gram sabha. There is a separate spring for the village’s Dalit community. The savarnas don’t let us use their water springs.”
Coming together
At the same time, we found unique instances of people overthrowing caste and religious barriers. In Boodha Kedar village in Garhwal, Dharmanand Nautiyal, Bharpoor Nagwan, and Bahadur Singh Rana—all from different castes—had decided about 70 years ago that they and their families would live in the same house and cook together. They still do, which sends out a message. In Hokra, we found five temples where “Khuda puja” is conducted. A village elder explained: “Once upon a time, some villagers were praying when Mughal soldiers chanced upon them. ‘What are you doing?’ they asked. The villagers said they were praying to Khuda. Since then, we have held Khuda puja in the temples.” Such stories serve as examples of inclusivity in an Uttarakhand rapidly being radicalised by right-wing politics.
Also Read | Milam’s glory is melting away
What stayed with us at journey’s end were such heartwarming stories; the kindness of women who offered us buttermilk; the sadness of mothers who awaited the return of their immigrant children; the helplessness of the elderly whose weakened knees and legs limited their movement in these unforgiving terrains. What we also could not forget was the din of the helicopters shattering the serenity, a constant reminder of the development that does more harm than good.
Umesh Pant is a Hindi travel writer and columnist. His upcoming travelogue on the Askot Arakot Abhiyan will be released this year. The article has been translated into English by Aastha Manocha.
We had been walking for a month on the Kedarnath yatra route. Every few minutes in the mornings, the sky would resonate with a mechanical roar, which would be echoed back, amplified, by the mountain sides. This was the helicopter ferrying tourists on the Char Dham Yatra route. The tourists would disembark while the engine still ran, and the helicopter would immediately turn back. Evidently, the promise of profit had done away with the need to follow regulations in this sensitive terrain.
Thinking of the tourists who undertake religious pilgrimages in helicopters these days, we felt proud to be part of the communal journey that people have undertaken for centuries in this part of the Himalaya. The journey, made almost entirely on foot, took us through river valleys, bugyals (meadows), gadheras (seasonal river paths), chhaanis (temporary shelters for shepherds), waterfalls, and forests.
On the way back from Panwali Kantha bugyal, en route Ghuttu village in Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. June 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Umesh Pant
We trekked as part of a study of the geographical, cultural, social, and environmental changes in Uttarakhand, organised by the non-profit PAHAR (People’s Association for Himalaya Area Research) once in every 10 years. Started in 1974, the Askot Arakot Abhiyan led by the historian, activist, and editor Shekhar Pathak celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. The 45-day communal trek, with the theme “Srot se Sangam” (From the source to the confluence), started on May 25, 2024, from Pangu in Dharchula and ended at Arakot in Uttarakashi on July 8. Many smaller trips were held concurrently with the main yatra.
I joined the Askot Arakot Abhiyan at Munshiyari in Kumaon’s Johar Valley on May 30 and dropped off at Kamad in Garhwal’s Uttarkashi on June 27, after walking for nearly 500 kilometres. We walked through some 90 settlements—mostly remote villages interspersed with some small towns and urban areas—and crossed 15 river valleys. We also crossed high Himalayan meadows, some situated at 3,700 metres above sea level. The experience—tough climbs with blistered feet, knee-spraining descents, an endless search for water in the wilderness, sleeping and answering nature’s call in the open, and walking in rain or shine—turned us into resilient travellers.
Also Read | A walk in the woods
One of the highlights of this journey was taking the walking trails used by explorers such as the Jesuit missionary Bento de Góis (1562-1607), the explorer William Moorcroft (1767-1825), and Lord Curzon (1859-1925), former British Viceroy to India. No attempt has been made to conserve these trails, which were once used by Char Dham pilgrims too. Shepherds and mule herders still use these trails, but most of them are damaged now due to natural disasters and lack of maintenance.
The religion-centric Char Dham Yatra, conducted by the Uttarakhand government and the Char Dham Devasthanam Board, dominates Uttarakhand’s tourism initiatives at present. Since it brings in good money, all other forms of tourism have taken a back seat in the State.
A girl carrying fodder for livestock goes back home to Sain Rathi village in Munsiari block, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. June 2, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Umesh Pant
For example, very few have heard of the lush meadows of Manatoli and Minsin on the walking trail between Borbalada in Kumaon and Himni in Garhwal although they have immense tourism potential. River valleys such as Byans, Chaudas, Johar, Darma, and Nelang can be the sites of sustainable tourism. Kwari Pass, Panwali Kantha, Bijola, etc. can be excellent alternative tourism destinations. These untouched areas, if developed sustainably, will not only boost employment, but will also relieve the pressure from areas such as Kedarnath, Tungnath, and Badrinath.
Indelible damage
The damage done by climate change resulting from heedless development was evident all through our journey. We crossed villages like La and Jhekla, which had been destroyed in a cloudburst years ago. At Joshimath in Garhwal, we saw the cracked houses abandoned by residents. The local social activist Atul Sathi said: “There are around 2,000 villages in Uttarakhand that are no longer habitable as a result of natural or man-made disasters. The displaced people can easily be settled in the villages that have been rendered empty by migration. But the government isn’t concerned.”
“The experience—tough climbs with blistered feet, knee-spraining descents, an endless search for water in the wilderness, sleeping and answering nature’s call in the open, and walking in rain or shine— turned us into resilient travellers.”
Near a village called Pana in Chamoli, an old British-era bridge was demolished for road construction in 2014. A decade later in 2024, villagers were still waiting for a replacement bridge to connect them to the road. People in Kheta, Sain Rathi, and Hokra villages expressed concern about the limestone mining that has hollowed out the mountains in many places, endangering the existence of villages.
Between Seekh and Ala villages, we witnessed rocks being blown apart with gunpowder. Dust and debris from the blasts have disfigured the area. The haphazard disposal of debris also increases the risk of landslides. While the hills are being developed at a rapid rate, development in the form of education or awareness is still lacking among the local people, who hold on to superstitions and caste prejudices.
Villagers with participants of the Askot Arakot Abhiyan in 2014.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
We were told that women are socially isolated when they menstruate. “If we don’t do this, the entire family will get blisters and boils on their faces. Having food cooked by menstruating women results in a sin,” said a man in Hokra village.
Caste discrimination is also widespread. In Ragdi Sankri village, a gram pradhan from a marginalised caste said: “We are not allowed to offer prayers at the Bhagwati temple in our village, which, incidentally, has received the status of an Ambedkar gram sabha. There is a separate spring for the village’s Dalit community. The savarnas don’t let us use their water springs.”
Coming together
At the same time, we found unique instances of people overthrowing caste and religious barriers. In Boodha Kedar village in Garhwal, Dharmanand Nautiyal, Bharpoor Nagwan, and Bahadur Singh Rana—all from different castes—had decided about 70 years ago that they and their families would live in the same house and cook together. They still do, which sends out a message. In Hokra, we found five temples where “Khuda puja” is conducted. A village elder explained: “Once upon a time, some villagers were praying when Mughal soldiers chanced upon them. ‘What are you doing?’ they asked. The villagers said they were praying to Khuda. Since then, we have held Khuda puja in the temples.” Such stories serve as examples of inclusivity in an Uttarakhand rapidly being radicalised by right-wing politics.
Also Read | Milam’s glory is melting away
What stayed with us at journey’s end were such heartwarming stories; the kindness of women who offered us buttermilk; the sadness of mothers who awaited the return of their immigrant children; the helplessness of the elderly whose weakened knees and legs limited their movement in these unforgiving terrains. What we also could not forget was the din of the helicopters shattering the serenity, a constant reminder of the development that does more harm than good.
Umesh Pant is a Hindi travel writer and columnist. His upcoming travelogue on the Askot Arakot Abhiyan will be released this year. The article has been translated into English by Aastha Manocha.
