Himachal Pradesh is majorly known for its lush green environment, but it has a dark side too. The state is a major tourist attraction in India, yet there are grave problems that if not addressed will cause an irreversible damage. Himachal being home to a lot of mountains and also the mighty Himalayas is prone to a lot of attention from the rest of the country. Himachalis being self sufficient know how to deal with problems, but these are a few issues that are quite alarming right now and need immediate external intervention.
Tourist Strain
Major tourist attractions like Shimla and Manali are almost always jammed during the tourist season. The number of tourists is ever increasing and authorities are failing to provide facilities and putting up effective systems.
Environmental Degradation
Environmental change is a major issue in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Major hydro projects are damaging the state which definitely not worth the profit they are making out of it. Landslides and ecological imbalance are being aggravated because of these projects. For local energy production, small micro level are sufficient which hardly cause any harm to the environment.
Electricity & Water
Water shortage has also become a big issue in major towns of the state of Himachal Pradesh and state capital Shimla as well. There are hardly any places with working sewerage and water treatment system. When it comes to electricity shortage, there is a darker side to the all-white snow. Snowfall and rainstorms cause electricity disruption not just for hours but days. In 2014, electricity of some districts of Shimla & Kinnaur was restored after 21 days.
Myth of open defecation-free state
The Himachal is declared open defecation-free state of India which is quite an achievement. It simply means every household has toilets for sanitary purposes. But there are many labourers from other parts of the country who are settled in the state. They mostly live off the nearby rivers and use its water for drinking and bathing purposes. They also pollute these areas by openly going for morning routine and washing their clothes. This water which is rich in contamination is harming the drinking quality.
Natural Disasters
Natural disasters have always been an issue of concern for the people of Himachal Pradesh. Your shelter is almost always at a risk of turning into debris. Floods, cloudbursts, earthquakes et al and landslides causing road accidents. Issue of natural disasters has always been alarming for the state.
Wild Life Menace
Regular encounter with wild animals is another issue of concern for the locals. They obviously pose danger to cattle and people of towns and villages. Wild animals often ruin crops and it’s a major issue for families dependant on agriculture. This is also an outcome of deforestation.
Tourists Causing Harm
Though the state is quite rich in terms of tourism but it is these tourists who create problems too. Though the state is quite welcoming to tourists for obvious reasons, these tourists act irresponsibly and cause major damage to the environment. From creating menace on the roads with rash driving, drunken driving, loud music, smoking to name a few. Littering done by tourists is also a major issue that people of Himachal Pradesh simply hate about tourism.
There must be many other such issues that we have missed, raise them in the comment section below.
