People across Uttarakhand are experiencing the impact of climate change, but the State Government has finalised a State Climate Change Action Plan (SCCAP) without public consultation and without adequate vulnerability studies. The plan is framed in English and the language barrier and limited availability has kept the people unaware of it. The SCCAP has eight dedicated missions but no vision and no policy to compliment it and does not incorporate local best practices across Uttarakhand.
These and other related issues are being raised in the ongoing climate change awareness campaign undertaken by Mountain Collective, a collaboration of voluntary organisations and people’s movements.
The campaign which has passed through various parts of the State also includes documenting climate change adaptation best practices like measuring and cutting tree branches, micro hydro power plants modifying the traditional water mill, using pine needles to make fuel briquettes etc and to get these included in the SCCAP. Campaigning in various parts of Uttarakhand, the activists learnt from the villagers that rivers have changed course, water discharge has decreased, pine trees have increased in number, water resources previously used for drinking have become undrinkable due to pollution and the forests have also moved away due to indiscriminate exploitation and unplanned development. Snowfall and rainfall patterns and quantity has also changed which has increased hardships for farmers and others. Wild animals like monkeys and bears which used to stay away from village boundaries have started venturing into the village destroying crops.
Oak trees are cut for commercial reasons while pine trees remain and make the ground acidic, do not help retain rain water as much as wide-leaved trees do, use more ground water, destroy faunal biodiversity and are a major reason for increase in forest fires. The villagers also said that large dams like the Tehri dam release Methane gas, destroy water balance, force wildlife displacement, and reduce trees. They also pointed out that the benefit of Tehri Dam has not reached the local people but to people away from the mountains at the cost of the locals
Campaign coordinator Dwarika Prasad Semwal said that the main produce of the villages comprise environmental services and natural resources like clean air, water and flora adding that the SCCAP lacks policy and visision as it includes a Himalayan mission but no Himalayan policy and a water mission but no water policy. He pointed out that there is no clarity on the allocation of around Rs 1000 crore allocated by the Central Government for this plan and there is no role of local self-governance in the same.