The State Government is going to celebrate September 9 as Himalayan Day in Uttarakhand — an idea that Chief Minister Harish Rawat envisaged last year in sync with his stress on ‘look towards Himalayas’ policy as an antidote to rampant migration going on in the hilly terrains of the State.
Besides, the CM stressed that with the terrain remaining fragile being disaster-prone, there is a need to be on the guard round-the-clock. “Under the look towards Himalayas policy, we would focus on six things - disaster, migration, biodiversity, agriculture, cultural heritage and cultivation of apple and walnut,” he said while having an informal chat with the media at the secretariat on Friday in the presence of the chief secretary Rakesh Sharma.
“With disasters becoming a regular feature of the Himalayas, we must take precautionary measures to mitigate the extent and magnitude of the disaster and its aftermath. As the upper Himalayan region being largely out of bounds, those engaged in planning must take extra care,” CM said.
“On September 9, we would observe the Himalayan Day upto Tehsil levels involving all in a comprehensive web. We would administer oaths to the school children to the effect that they would protect environment in their respective localities,” he said.
Referring to incessant migration occurring in the hilly terrain, he said the focus of the developmental plans must shift from the plains to the hills. “So far we remained obsessed with development of the plains. Now time has come when we must shift focus up the hills,” he said.
Dwelling on the global warming adversely impacting climate, CM said they must study things in the deeps. “Are we to understand that depletion of Ozone layer is triggering itIJ” he asked.
Stressing on connectivity, CM said bettering it is an imperative to mitigate casualty in the wake of natural disasters.
“The state government has made sure that helipads are built on seven to eight sensitive locations. To ensure its availability during the time of crisis, district magistrates have been asked to make physical verification of the helipads located within their jurisdictional areas every week and report things to the state government promptly. Besides, secretary disaster will meet DMs fortnightly and chief secretary will convene meeting once every three weeks to take stock of developing things,” CM said.
laying emphasis on preservation of the state’s biodiversity and cultural heritage, he said the potential inherent in the state must be optimally exploited. “We must see whether fodder is available in the hills in sufficient measure to meet the needs. Plants endowed with Herbal qualities must be used in full,” he stressed, adding that the trend of the hill people descending down in the plains in search of better livelihood options must be halted. “Apple and walnut figure prominently on the Himalayan Day logo. We would appeal to the people to cultivate these two fruits extensively. Walnut is amply nutritious, but its market value is less than what it ought to be. The example of Himachal Pradesh striding ahead through proper cultivation and marketing of apple and walnut must inspire us to do the same,” CM said.
“Besides, the belief that the hills are not safe must be countered effectively,” CM said.