Now that the rains have mercifully abated in Himachal, the various Whatsapp groups have offered their anodyne prayers for the state, donations have been made to the CM's Relief Fund to assuage consciences, and bureaucrats have made the right noises to cover up their silence when the environment was being raped over the years, it is time to step back, take stock of the situation and take hard decisions for the future. I have been in Himachal since 1976 and have never witnessed the kind of devastation that has occurred over the last one month. A few landslides, road collapses and some flooding has always been par for the course in this mountainous state, but the extent, intensity and ferocity of nature's backlash this year is unprecedented and should be an eye-opener for not only the officials and politicians, but also the citizens of the state, who are just as culpable for the disaster.
It would be fair to state that no Chief Minister of this state has ever had to confront the situation that Mr. Sukhu now has to face. The challenges before him are enormous, his resources limited, the attendant politics bound to be opportunistic and vicious: nothing brings out the worst in an Indian politician as a natural calamity. He is up to his eye-brows in monitoring the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts, but it is now time for him to start taking some tough decisions too, in order to demonstrate his resolve to correct the horrendous mistakes of the past. In fact, I would go so far as to say that he is already late in taking these decisions.
The Chief Minister needs to announce, and implement, the following measures immediately to show that he means business:
[1] Repeal the Shimla Development Plan 41 (SDP 41) and withdraw the state's appeal against its rejection by the NGT/ HP High Court. This SDP 41, which proposes to double Shimla's population by 2040 (!), allow construction in the city's 17 Green Belts, prohibited Core and Heritage Zones, and permit 5+1 floors (as against the existing 2+1) in the rest of the city, is nothing but a suicide note or a death warrant for Shimla, and probably the worst policy document ever produced by its government. Shimla has been brought to its knees even without these calamitous liberalisations, and the SDP 41 will take it the way of Pompei. The SDP should go immediately, and not await a Supreme Court adjudication (which in any case does not inspire much confidence on environmental matters). The Executive conceived this monstrosity, the Executive should bury it.
[2] Make a public declaration that there shall NEVER be any regularisation of illegal buildings in the state (of which there are reported to be about 17000). It has been frequent regularisation policies in the past (six at last count) by all governments which have allowed this monster to grow in the womb of expectation, and led to the explosion of the type of buildings which have been collapsing in the recent rains, taking a toll of human lives. This includes many government constructions too, which have been at the fore-front of these violations, confident in their sovereign immunity. This must stop, and this dangling electoral carrot must be banished for all times.
[3] Begin the process of decongesting and deconcretising Shimla and Manali NOW. Impose a complete ban on all construction in Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, McLeodganj, Solan, with immediate effect, even the ongoing ones. Given the negligent and complicit manner in which building plans have been passed, and the total failure to monitor their implementation by the TCP Department, all must be treated as suspect and subjected to a rigorous review and physical inspection before being given a green signal: for this to happen, a suspension of all building activity in the town is necessary. No new construction should be permitted. A separate policy for repairs only could be formulated thereafter. This harsh measure may infringe on the rights of an individual, but it is in the larger public interest and protects the right of the majority.
[4] Stop the registration of any new hotels, home-stays, holiday homes and guest houses in Shimla and the towns mentioned above, forthwith. They have neither the structural, traffic, space or infrastructural capacity to cater to any more tourists or vehicles. The "chhola bhatura" kind of tourism we have been promoting so far cannot be allowed to destroy the environment, livelihoods and economy of the rest of the state any more: let us not forget that though tourism contributes about 8% of the state's GDP, there remains the other 92% which has been held hostage for far too long to tourism interests. This imbalance has to be corrected.
[5] Stop immediately the construction of any more four-lane highways; even for sanctioned projects, where work is yet to start revert to improved two lane highways to avoid further cutting of mountains and dumping of muck. The recently tendered Kaithlighat- Dhalli four lane project should be converted into a two lane highway.We don't need expert committees of the NHAI to examine this issue- the massive destruction which these four lane abominations have caused can be seen all along the length of the Kiratpur-Manali, Pathankot-Mandi and Parwanoo-Solan highways. The Himalayas are no place to carve out 35 and 45 meter wide roads: let Mr. Gadkari earn his place in the Guinness Book of Records by ravaging the plains- the mountains are too fragile too accommodate his ambitions.
[6] The conceptual process of reducing the environmental and infrastructural load on Shimla must commence immediately, without waiting for the promised Supreme Court Expert Committee. There is no time for that, there already exist enough reports of competent specialists, there are enough collapsed buildings, denuded hillsides, fallen trees and dead people to conclude that Shimla cannot support a population of 250,000 people, 100,000 cars and 70000 tourists a day. Appoint a committee under the Chief Secretary to suggest ways to reduce the city's population by at least 25% by 2035. This objective could be dove-tailed into the plan for creating a satellite township in Jathiadevi recently announced by the govt. This could even become a model template for other groaning towns like Manali, Solan, Mandi and Dharamshala.
[7] Consider seriously the idea of creating a Beas Valley Regulatory and Development Authority, in order to bring some administrative coherence to this ravaged valley, especially the stretch from Palchan to Pandoh. The Beas valley (including its tributaries, the Parbati, Sainj, Jiwa Nal and Tirthan) , is a multi sectoral hub of Himachal's economy, catering to tourism, adventure sports, horticulture, hydel power, mining. It is also a strategic gateway to Ladakh and the district of Lahaul-Spiti. The uncoordinated approach of different departments has currently made the valley a ruined mess; this beautiful valley needs a comprehensive development plan which supports the economy and simultaneously preserves its unmatched natural environment, and an agency which can also act as a regulator. This is not possible with different departments lacking an overall view and working in their own silos. The Deputy Commissioner cannot discharge this function, given his multifarious responsibilities.
This is my bucket list for the immediate future; much more will need to be done in the medium and long term, like; stopping this frenzy of tree felling in the towns, using them as alibis for our own greed and cupidity; removing encroachments and even sanctioned buildings on the water-courses and traditional nullahs without fear or favour, even if they are govt. buildings; reviewing the hare-brained proposal to channelise rivers; legislation to ban any construction below the HFL (High Flood Level) of rivers; reining in the mushrooming of hotels and home-stays; assessing the carrying capacities of various towns and regions; imposing blanket bans on mining in rivers and streams, imposing a moratorium on new hydel projects, especially in geologically sensitive areas such as Lahaul-Spiti and Pangi, and so on.
Mr. Sukhu, the Chief Minister, has a challenge on his hands which no Chief Minister before him had ever had to contend with. But it is also an opportunity for him to show that Indian politics can still throw up leaders. The govt. must demonstrate unequivocally that it has the political will to be a part of the solution, not the problem. At stake is, not his career, but the very survival of his state.
very good suggestions
ReplyDeleteWhen this gentleman was a high profile bureaucrat of HP, he never cared for State's interest... always danced to the tune of political bosses....now giving sermons
ReplyDeleteI wonder how to use your comment to improve the condition in Himachal?
DeleteWe may or may not agree with Mr. Shukla. His suggestions will never find favour with any Government, is also a fact but, It's absolutely wrong to say that he never cared for State's interest or he danced to politicians tunes. When he was Secretary TCP, he had proposed a long-term plan for construction and planned development which was brushed aside by politicians and vested interests. Had it gone through, this devastation could have been much less. No one who ever saw his working will vouch for his honesty, vision and firmness in handling any situation. He never bowed before any pressure
DeletePerhaps the penultimate sentence of this crystal account of Mr. Shukla should be read with E & O E.
DeleteRajeshwar, you do not know Avay at all. He was not the ordinary, run-of-the-mill bureaucrat ...
DeleteIts true and we have grown grey watching entire Himalayas going to shreds , Why is it that every unfit Indian has to go the top of a mountain or sanctum of a temple in the comfort of a SUV??but also true that most of the gyan comes only after retirement!!!
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice Avay. I was thinking much along the same lines, but you put it into words much better. Nainital has banned new constructions and development on the hillside above the lake. All new hotels and habitations are now coming up miles away from the lake.
ReplyDeleteI would add something more.
In the fitness of things, ALL forests need to be managed for the functions they are expected to perform. Shimla forests were meant for conservation of the environment and ecology of this hill station. Much of the forests have been planted, as is evident from the uniform size and age of the trees. It is only in the nullahs and depressions that natural growth forests exist. In my opinion, the Shimla deodars need to be gradually replaced in small patches by new saplings of the same species, following established silvicultural principles. Patches should be large enough to fence and manage effectively, but not so large as to let in excessive sunlight and encourage weeds to overshadow the saplings. Tall planting should be the norm ...
There is only one solution to Himachal at the moment. Implement the need based moves immediately. A point and OSD for environmental preservation. A person who takes orders from the CM only and reports to him directly. A person who knows what to do and how to do it. A person who won't bend to bureaucrats, politicians and builders. These persons should be persona non grata .
ReplyDeleteInvolve corporate houses who are honest with their CSR. They are success oriented and know how to do things fast and properly.
The corporate houses will also report to the OSD.
The OSD must be a man of integrity, a vast knowledge of Himachal, love Himachal for what it was, not what it has become, knows how to get things done.
There is only one person who fits this description, Avay Shukla.
Thank you, Kishie. But my "sell by" date is long over. I'm now like a eunuch guarding the Sultan's harem- I know of everything that is going on there, but there's little I can do about it! It's a pure Observer status!
ReplyDeleteHimachal has to be rebuilt.
ReplyDeleteHeads must roll in Town planning dpt in every office from top down to the peon who facilitate breaking the law.
Himachal police officers and non-officers must be scanned.
Vigilance officers and employees in the state should be screened and this who turned a blind eye should be pensioned off at once.
There too many states Govt offices in shimla. They need to all move out to other places. Why have the HPSEB Head Office in shimla? They should be in Sundarnagar , Nathpa Jhakri, and other project sites.
You'll find many such over staffed offices crowding the towns that are crumbling now.
Start now. Start with a hammer.
The pathetic situation the State find itself in, has been very well summarised. The problem is that the State is saddled with a very myopic political class, a spineless bureaucracy and a clueless technocracy. With such a potent combination, any decisive intervention would be a miracle. All they would be doing is praying to the weather God's to provide some relief. Over time all will be forgotten, till such time another disaster unfolds. We get a government we deserve. So not only the hills are suffering, so also the silent majority, who queue up diligently to vote, expecting a lion to be born in a flock of sheep.
ReplyDeletegood on you, guv'nor, spoken like a true white man; these natives need to know their place.
ReplyDeleteMr. Shukla’s solutions proffered through his wish list appear sound for the most part. Re-examination of the SDP 41, incentivising the decongestion of Shimla, Manali and other towns that are bursting with overcrowding, a re-visit of sanctioned plans and permits granted for construction, restoration of 2 lane highways in place of the destroyed or the yet-to-be-built 4 lane expressways, and the creation of a Regulatory Authority for the Beas Valley that will be an overarching collaboratory body - seem comprehensive inputs to initiate a process-oriented approach to the development of the region. He does, though, get excited at places. The immediate stop to all construction, the blanket ban on hydel projects, the revoking of licences granted to tourist activities and hotels in and around popular towns - are perhaps precipitates from emotional spurts, birthed from well-meant anxiety that arises principally among the patricians.
ReplyDeleteHimachal Pradesh had a State GDP of over 2.00 trillion rupees as per 2022-23 data. This year it is scheduled to grow by an additional 10 percent, but the devastation in July and August may scupper the best laid estimates. Its per capita income was healthy at 2.22 lakhs in 2022-23.
In the construction of this, primary activities of agriculture, forestry, livestock, mining and quarrying contribute about 13.5 percent. Secondary activities comprising manufacturing, construction, infrastructure and utilities contribute about 43 Percent. And tertiary activities of tourism, hotels, trade, communications, real estate and public sector about 43.5 percent.
The state cannot possibly alter its above indices without risking massive unemployment and plunging incomes. Environment and Economy move in opposite directions while flanking the limited space available for an administration to steer itself. Bans, stoppages, embargos, rescissions, are harsh words with harsher after-effects.
If Himachal could begin to make staggered, contour trenches compulsory in all forestry and soil conservation activities / schemes and continue to do so in a bigger way in the years ahead, much of the rainfall that presently cascades downhill, will get arrested on the hillsides. With more and more such trenches, runoff from extreme rainfall events can be much better managed. Improved water percolation into the soil would make grasses, herbs, shrubs flourish from rootstock lying dormant below the surface. The grass can be allocated to women's groups who would protect their patches, just as the do on private lands. This is eminently doable, affordable and sustainable. We simply do not have the money for fancy, expensive, cement-concrete interventions which is what expert committees obsessed with the idea of cement-steel based 'development' usually come up with. The idea is to make our landscape resilient to climate change.
ReplyDeleteTo persist with Mr. Patankar's words, may I point out to him that there can be no "harsher side effect" than death, which is what 350 residents of HP have had to suffer these last months. This is the side effect of continuing with the business as usual model he appears to be in favour of. There comes a time when drastic action, however unpalatable in the short term, be comes inevitable. Himachal had reached this point many years ago. And, no sir, I am not "excited", as your misplaced levity puts it. I am outraged by the continuing refusal on the part of the govt. to listen to experts and scientific advice. Here is just one write up:
ReplyDeletehttps://m.timesofindia.com/city/shimla/unscientific-untenable-foolish-experts-on-rampant-construction-in-himachal-pradesh/articleshow/103078133.cms
There are many others, including the latest report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science, Technology and Environment headed by Jairam Ramesh. The time for pussy footing is over, and we in Himachal have to find a new template for development, notwithstanding equivocal comments which are neither here nor there.
And what is the new template of development that is proposed, Sir?
DeleteIf you advocate blanket bans on hydel projects, please tell the people of the state as to how their houses will be lit. How the energy requirements of Industry are to be addressed. You may also want to console the employable staff that the same is for a better tomorrow they are being taken to.
If you stop every kind of construction on a "first-halt-then-reconsider" basis, perhaps you may advise those whose houses have been destroyed recently to stop all reconstruction; nothing is permissible because of a life saving blanket ban for the good of all.
If you prevent travel, tourism, and hospitality in Himachal, please guide the indigenous population how they are to put food on their tables.
Having effectively plugged the avenues of income generation, if you now have a plausible plan that addresses the agony of the working class, please lead them to their emancipation. Else, step aside laterally a little and align with the economists rather than stare them down. And work with them to bring down only the excesses - in a controlled, phased manner - most of which appears feasible through the major part of your proposed suggestions, minus the bans.
First a quick disposal of wet garbage - at this time & space, there's no need for a blog in a blog.The tendency to hive off, piggy-back for sounding off & getting caught up in 'critting' the text (& irrelevantly) instead of addressing the crisis, is not the need of the hour.
ReplyDeleteI think an OSD is needed.
I also agree that the CM is in a terrible spot. But he has been given an opportunity, sombre though it is, to lead from a pre-covid mind set to a post -pandemic redefinition of how a life matters more than profit.
That was the time for profit.
But profit at the cost of nightmarish destruction, is a tightening noose that has happened.
There is so much to be done in so many places that the CM must be reassured and encouraged, to get immediate conferences going; to agree actions; making plans, identifying monies and setting inspection headlines.
The Central govt & all the professionals he can reach out to, the proven 'best in the business,' have to be brought in to help
There's lots to be done and there are still more lives at stake.
The loyal knight will not permit chatter that rings in harsh clatter. He gallops into the arena and despatches unworthy obstruction like wet garbage. And sows a thousand seeds of life-giving ideas. That invigorates the minions to roll up their sleeves and tackle obstacles headfirst. So badly needed in lieu of income which is but illusory to minds intoxicated by inspiration and bodies hammered by bans.
DeleteYou're right, Kabir- there's no time to be lost, for the winter rains and snow are not far away. The CM has made a few statements about banning stone crushers, empowering Panchayats , acting against hydel projects and NHAI, and tightening construction activities, which is a beginning, but some specific action on the ground will give a better signal that he means business. My own view is that , for perhaps the first time, the people have realised the dangers inherent in pursuing the current faux development policies and are ready for change. The problem is with the administration and political leaders- are THEY willing to change their thinking?
ReplyDeleteI guess even in a democratic system it's important to be able to issue instructions and see them carried out. I am sure the CM will get a positive response to every appeal he puts out for help -- for funds, tech support and execution.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many excellent observations right here and knowledgeable persons like PK Sir and NodNat (to name just two) who could be tapped for think - tank help.
There's also a strong Himachali Diaspora that could be looking back in dismay, especially if there are family members here.That too could be a resource.
Hope things work out. In favour of the mountains.
It was very encouraging to know that a two day webinar happened, parts 1 & 2, with some really committed people sharing thoughts and ideas of a 'constructive' nature. (HNA webinar on Himachal's Disasters Part 1 & 2.organised by Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, People for youtube.com; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnRHSPb5ajc) - in case anyone is interested and curious to know whether the State admin. has got into action or not.
ReplyDeleteThe Kullu videos are seriously alarming. And the earthquake predictions are not helping.