Power cuts, traffic jams, slums and water
shortages… in the snow-capped Himalayas?! It feels just like back home. The reason
is that there are far too many tourists; that is to say, the infrastructure (hotels, roads and water supply) is inadequate to handle their growing numbers. And the toilets are smelly – if they can be located at all. But the tourists themselves cannot be absolved of all blame. Refuse, junk and plain garbage are dumped indiscriminately everywhere; even the mighty Mount Everest has not been spared this ignominy. Perhaps, the problem is compounded by the fact that most of the tourists – inevitably – prefer to visit during the tourist season.
Where are the wildlife, biodiversity and natural habitats… pristine forests untouched by humans? The author says that the hills look brown and barren and it is not just the tourists who are to blame:
• Private contractors have been given licenses to cut trees for timber
• Mountain soil is being excavated to lay down roads
• Stone quarrying is defacing the mountains
• Increasingly, the rivers are polluted
Thus, the enterprising tourists are as likely to see the fruits of
development as they are likely to see the virgin forests! What they are likely to see are Dams – large dams and small dams and dams of all other shapes and sizes. They are also likely to encounter Mines (quarries) and even Flyovers. And, they would be well advised to carry plentiful bottles of Bisleri - as bottles of mineral water are known in India - as water is rationed in the hills. What they will not want for, however, is packaged foodstuffs.
As for the wildlife, they may as well stay at home (in the large, teeming urban sprawls of the plains) as a wide variety of squirrels, bats, butterflies, reptiles and birds can be found living in most cities!