The Problem

Needless to say, it is the ecological plunder going on now for several years, which is the cause of concern.

Apart from the deforestation, it is the pollution of the natural resources themselves which is causing the Himalayan belt to lose its charm. As if the global warming wasn’t enough, this new menace reared it head only to add to the burden.

The development of the tourism in the mountainous areas has paved the way for the disasters to happen. If on the one hand, it has prepared the ground for sound career avenues for the locals, it has, on the other, led to the addition of tons of garbage. As usual, the visitors upon visiting these destinations, throw anything and everything on the roads leading to them.

Aesthetics on Decline

Even the rocks lining both sides of the roads leading to actual sites are painted with colors. Companies interested in advertising their products often end up doing more harm than anyone else, when they smear these rocks with harmful chemicals. Obviously, their aesthetic value is reduced due to the sheer ugliness these very ads present.

Mt. Everest’s Commercialization

A classic example of negligence is the Everest itself, which had been in the news in the recent past. In fact, innumerable reports point towards the unmanageable waste which has now been dotting the landscape since years. This diverse lot includes amongst other things, aluminum cans, trash, piles of clothes, junk food leftovers, tents, used oxygen cylinders, etc. Another lot includes even the syringes, corpses and other medical equipment.

As far as the first lot is concerned, there is not much to worry as it decomposes on its own. The problem arises with the second lot because of its non-bio-degradable nature, due to which it might take years for it to return to its natural form. And in the most of the cases, it can’t be even that because of the preserving nature of the freezing temperatures of the region.

The Efforts Thereafter

The decade following the 90’s saw numerous expeditions to the summit, when the climbers undertook the important task of bringing back the garbage with them. It was really admirable because of the additional efforts involved in it, as the very survival is at stake while attempting to climb the mountain. The climbers discovered that the trash piled on these routes had somehow slipped down below the crevasses.  

The Ecological Disasters

Again taking the overall state of the mountains themselves, due to the addition of several other activities, their serenity has been disturbed. Tourism has paved the way for activities like sports, hiking, rock climbing, skating, etc. further attracting the people from everywhere. But, what actually does the harm is the apathy, which the visitors display while visiting these scenic spots.

Insensitivity to the local traditions and towards the mountains themselves, leads them to litter. As a result, piles upon piles choke the system and it proves to be catastrophic for the ecosystems involved. The rivers originating from the mountain glaciers are also facing a threat posed due to littering. This is apart from the wide scale deforestation which is eroding the top soil of the mountains.

Even a slight drizzle is enough to initiate landslides, which further endangers the life and limb of the locals. But, coming to the central theme of this article, it is the land, soil and water pollution which is gradually turning the magnificent Himalayas into an eyesore. The very act of bringing back the waste from such heights involves enormous costs, which deters anyone from proceeding forward.

The Way Ahead

But, the good news is that this too, is changing rapidly as a number of volunteers are coming forth to do the needful. A classic example of this is the father son duo of the Brent family, who has taken it upon themselves to get the mountains cleaned of this mess. Especially, the younger one has initiated a financial scheme, whereby the climbers are adequately compensated for the garbage brought down.