Did you see forest fires on the Dhauladhar this  summer, or not?

                                            The scarcities of water in Shimla and our own villages dry and hot?

                                            I write to voice my lament and rage at the ongoing destruction of all that is green

                                           And urge you to read and share my post: be you young, old or even a bubbly teen

Can we still save Palampur?    

Lucky we are. While the plains sizzle with searing heat in these days of climate change, we, Palampurwallas, still have some few deodars and the pines left to keep the air cool. We have the Neugal, the Awa, the Binwa and the Baner khuds fed by the melting snows of the Dhauladhar for a refreshing dip in this insane heat. We have the beautiful Jacarandas with their dainty, purple blossoms to keep our spirits upbeat and happy. We have the tea-gardens canopied by shady trees to soothe our summer-weary eyes. We have the Neugal café to walk or drive up to for swigs of beer perched relaxingly on its breezy lawns for a refreshing evening with friends or family. And so on...  

                          

But for how long?

Reckless, unregulated, unplanned construction activity goes on at a frantic pace. Even pristine, pine-clad forest hills are being cut up right through the middle (see photo) to make way for link roads to provide access to swathes of land bought by the filthy rich where they would build colonies and sell them at hefty rates and get richer still. Big commercial buildings – which look like ghastly monstrosities in concrete – have come up, and more are coming up right on the banks of our khuds blocking view, defying law and regulations. The MC sleeps; so does the PWD; so does the CTP; so do the local administration and other government departments whose job it is to not let this happen. Have they been bribed or compromised by the powerful builders’ lobby that has strong ties with the politician? Or the politicians and/or their kin have their own stakes and shares in this money-raking construction activity? Is that why the law and regulation enforcing agencies are under pressure to keep mum, look the other way and stay impotent? …I leave these questions that trouble me for you too to mull over.  At times it seems that what to speak of good governance, there is no government at all. How else otherwise could Shimla, Kasauli, Manali and McLeodganj have become so ugly, eye-jarring jungles of concrete with thousands of illegal constructions?

Imagine the horror. Shimla has been without water for 8 days. (And finally, it is the High Court that had to step in and do what was essentially the government’s job. It acted tough, prevented the VIPs from enjoying special favour of assured water supply while the general public suffered and set an example by excluding the jugdes too from any undue favour in water supply. The Chief Justice was walking the streets late in the night calling up the officials and personally monitoring the situation. Why can’t our ministers, MLAs and secretaries act in such exemplary ways in public interest?)

Forest fires are raging everywhere causing immense loss of our invaluable green cover, our dwindling wildlife, our biodiversity. Almost all hill slopes of the Dhauladhar as we look around in the north present a depressing sight: plumes of smoke everywhere rising up and clouding the sky.  And as I woke up this last Wednesday morning, I could feel the stifling smoke and soot having drifted right inside my own home. At this rate, the day is not far off when such fires will spread right in our own neighbourhoods and homesteads as Palampur changes from green to grey. Loud announcements are made before every summer that all due arrangements have been made to control and fight forest fires. Yet every year all plans, all arrangements go kaput. Sadly, these wild fires have already claimed 8 lives including that of a forest official- all because of inadequate fire-fighting infrastructure.

The present government is new. I have faith and trust in our new CM. He needs time to come to grips with the nitty gritty of administration and bureaucratic tangles that clog good governance. But what the hell his predecessors have been doing about combating this massive destruction that visits our lovely forests every summer? Why have they not been able to put in place effective short and long-term measures  despite being in power for term after term? Why have they let thousands of illegal constructions come up and have been making amendments to regularize them- without shame, without regret, without fear of being held accountable?

Well, my worry is: Will Palampur go the way these cities/towns have gone?...Another congested town of concrete with Shimla/Solan-like scarcities of water and other essential civic amenities? It sure will. And sooner than we think. Therefore, dear friends heed the groans and cries of Mother Nature…our degrading local ecology and environment. Let’s ensure a cool, green, clean Palampur for our posterity. Let’s protest and prevent. Let’s call a halt to further erosion, destruction and loss. Days of paying obeisance to our lawmakers are now past. No need to garland them…no more colonial hangover please. They are public servants enjoying huge perks, privileges and life of luxury at our cost. Let’s hold them accountable. Let’s ask them tough questions. Let’s get together and join hands. Let’s do it now…otherwise it will be too late. Let’s save our beloved Palampur.

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