Beyond Planting Trees : Restoring Native Forest and Freshwater Ecosystems In Darjeeling Himalaya Dr. Shailendra Dewan of Singell argues why restoring native ecology is important

Every year, World Environment Day reminds us of our collective responsibility towards the environment. Across the globe, tree-planting campaigns have become a symbol of environmental action, helping to raise awareness about conservation and climate change. While these efforts are important, the ecological future of the Darjeeling Himalaya depends on something broader and more enduring: the restoration of native forest and freshwater ecosystems.

The Darjeeling region forms part of the Eastern Himalaya, one of the world’s most significant biodiversity hot-spots. Its forests, rivers, streams, wetlands, and springs support an extraordinary diversity of life while providing essential ecosystem services that sustain local communities. Yet many of these ecosystems have been altered, fragmented, or degraded over time, reducing their ability to support biodiversity and maintain critical ecological functions.

A Landscape Shaped by History

The landscape of Darjeeling that we see today is very different from what existed two centuries ago. Our understanding of the region’s original ecological character comes not only from the remnant native forest patches that still survive across the landscape but also from the accounts of early naturalists and explorers who documented the region’s remarkable biodiversity.

Among the most notable of these was Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, whose Himalayan Journals provide vivid descriptions of the forests, vegetation, and plant diversity of the Eastern Himalaya during the mid-nineteenth century. Together, these historical accounts and the surviving forest remnants offer valuable insights into ecosystems that once extended across much of the region.

In his own word

“At about 1000 feet above Punkabaree, the vegetation is very rich, and appears all the more so from the many turnings of the road, affording glorious prospects of the foreshortened tropical forests. The prevalent timber is gigantic, and scaled by climbing Leguminosae, as Bauhinias and Robinias, which sometimes sheath the trunks, or span the forest with huge cables, joining tree to tree. Their trunks are also clothed with parasitical Orchids, and still more beautifully with Pothos (Scindapsus), Peppers, Gnetum, Vines, Convolvulus, and Bignoniæ. The beauty of the drapery of the Pothos-leaves is pre-eminent, whether for the graceful folds the foliage assumes, or for the liveliness of its colour” -Source The Himalayan Journal by JD Hooker

Prior to the colonial period, large areas of the lower and middle elevations, specifically in Darjeeling were covered by extensive subtropical and temperate broad-leaf forests that formed a continuous ecological network across the hills. During British rule, the landscape underwent a profound transformation as forests were cleared to establish tea plantations, settlements, roads, and other infrastructure. These changes shaped the economic and cultural identity of the region and continue to influence the landscape today. However, they also resulted in the fragmentation and loss of vast tracts of native forest ecosystems.

What remain today are often isolated patches of native vegetation embedded within tea estates, agricultural lands, village forests, and human settlements. Though fragmented, these remnants represent some of the last surviving examples of ecosystems that once dominated the Darjeeling Himalaya.

Why Native Ecosystems Matter

These remaining forests are far more than green spaces. They are complex living systems that support a remarkable diversity of plants, birds, butterflies, mammals, fungi, and microorganisms. Many species depend on these habitats for survival, while ecological interactions among pollinators, seed dispersers, decomposers, and plants maintain the functioning of the ecosystem. Several threatened species like Rufous Necked Hornbill, Himalayan Newt Salamander, Kaiser I Hind Butterflies exist in this region

Native forests also provide essential ecosystem services. They regulate water flows, recharge springs, stabilize mountain slopes, reduce soil erosion, store carbon, and help buffer communities against the impacts of climate change. Many of the remaining forest patches function as ecological corridors, allowing wildlife to move between habitats in an increasingly fragmented landscape.

The springs, streams, wetlands, and rivers associated with these forests are equally important. Together, forests and freshwater ecosystems form the ecological foundation upon which biodiversity, water security, and human well-being depend.

Restoration is More Than Planting Trees

Protecting these remaining ecosystems is essential, but protection alone is no longer sufficient. Many forest patches have become degraded due to habitat fragmentation, invasive species, unsustainable land-use practices, and the cumulative pressures of climate change.

Ecological restoration is often misunderstood as simply planting trees. In reality, restoration is about recovering entire ecosystems and the ecological processes that sustain them. A native forest is much more than a collection of trees. It is a living network of plants, animals, fungi, microorganisms, soils, and water systems that interact over time to create resilient and functioning ecosystems.

Restoration therefore involves protecting remnant forests, encouraging natural regeneration, reconnecting fragmented habitats, restoring native vegetation, controlling invasive species, and ensuring that ecological processes such as pollination, seed dispersal, nutrient cycling, and soil formation continue to function.

Importantly, restoration is not about recreating the past exactly as it was. Rather, it is about recovering ecological functions and reconnecting the remnants of native ecosystems that still persist across the landscape. By restoring these ecological connections, we can enhance biodiversity, strengthen water security, and build resilience in a rapidly changing world.

Reconnecting Forests and Freshwaters

The springs, streams, wetlands, and rivers of the Himalaya are ecological lifelines that connect mountains, forests, and communities. For generations, springs have served as primary sources of drinking water for villages and towns, while rivers and streams have supported agriculture, livelihoods, and biodiversity.

Forests and freshwater ecosystems are deeply interconnected. Healthy forests capture rainfall, enhance groundwater recharge, regulate runoff, and maintain the catchments that feed springs and streams. When forests are degraded, freshwater systems often become vulnerable as well.

Protecting spring recharge zones, restoring riparian vegetation along streams, rehabilitating degraded wetlands, and conserving river corridors are therefore integral components of ecosystem restoration. Such actions not only enhance biodiversity but also strengthen water security, reduce erosion and landslide risks, and improve resilience to climate variability.

Restoring freshwater ecosystems is particularly important in mountain regions where communities are increasingly facing seasonal water shortages and changing rainfall patterns. Healthy forests and healthy watersheds together form the foundation of long-term ecological and social resilience.

Restoration and Sustainable Livelihoods

Restoring ecosystems is not only about conservation; it is also about people.

Healthy native forests support a wide range of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that contribute to rural livelihoods and cultural traditions. Seasonal collection of fiddle-head ferns (ningro), wild mushrooms, bamboo products, wild edible fruits, fodder resources, and medicinal and aromatic plants has long formed an important part of life in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya. These resources provide food, nutrition, traditional medicines, and supplementary income for many households while helping preserve traditional ecological knowledge passed down through generations.

Restoring native forest ecosystems can improve the availability and sustainability of these resources by enhancing habitat quality and supporting native plant diversity. When managed sustainably, these products can contribute to local economies while creating incentives for conservation.

Restoration can also create new opportunities through nature-based tourism. Forest trails, bird-watching routes, butterfly walks, nature interpretation centres, spring tourism, and community-managed ecotourism initiatives can generate income while promoting environmental stewardship. The region’s exceptional biodiversity offers unique opportunities for wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and citizen science activities that attract visitors from across India and beyond.

As native biodiversity recovers, it can also create opportunities for a new generation of local entrepreneurs. Young people can develop enterprises linked to ecotourism, birdwatching and butterfly guiding, homestays, biodiversity documentation, native plant nurseries, sustainable NTFP value chains, environmental education, and ecosystem restoration services. Such opportunities can diversify rural economies and generate meaningful employment rooted in local landscapes and cultures.

In a region where many young people migrate outside in search of work, nature-based enterprises can offer viable livelihood alternatives closer to home. Ecosystem restoration can therefore help create conditions that encourage some youth to return, invest their skills locally, and build businesses around the region’s unique natural heritage. In this way, restoration becomes not only an investment in biodiversity and water security but also an investment in people, livelihoods, and the future of mountain communities.

Healthy ecosystems also support agriculture through pollination services, improve water availability, reduce disaster risks, enhance climate resilience, and strengthen local economies. In mountain landscapes where people and nature are closely interconnected, ecosystem restoration is an investment in both ecological and economic well-being.

A Shared Responsibility for the Future

The future of conservation in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya will depend not only on what happens within protected areas but also on how we manage the wider landscape where people live, farm, and work. Tea estates, village communities, educational institutions, local governments, civil society organizations, and individual landowners all have important roles to play in restoring ecological connectivity across the region.

As we mark World Environment Day, it is worth remembering that the ultimate goal is not simply to increase tree cover. It is to restore healthy, connected, and resilient ecosystems that can sustain both biodiversity and human well-being.

The forests, springs, streams, and rivers of Darjeeling and Sikkim are part of a shared natural heritage. Protecting and restoring these ecosystems today will help ensure that future generations inherit landscapes that remain rich in biodiversity, secure in water resources, economically vibrant, and resilient in the face of environmental change.

The future of Darjeeling and Sikkim depends not only on conserving the remnants of its natural heritage but also on restoring the ecological connections that once linked forests, springs, streams, and rivers across the landscape. By investing in ecosystem restoration today, we can build landscapes that support biodiversity, strengthen livelihoods, secure water resources, create opportunities for future generations, and sustain both people and nature for years to come

About the author: Dr. Sailendra Dewan is a research associate with the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE). He is originally from Singell Tea Estate in Kurseong. His research pursuits are centered around macro-ecology, bio-geography, and community ecology of fauna, focusing on insects in mountain ecosystems. He currently involved in establishing a comprehensive and long-term monitoring program for butterflies alongside investigating the effects of climate change and habitat degradation in the Indian Himalayan Region.

The post Beyond Planting Trees: Restoring Native Forest and Freshwater Ecosystems In Darjeeling Himalaya appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The plastic waste crisis is now beyond just an issue of waste management but one that intersects with public and planetary health. Plastic pollution permeates every corner of the planet, even in the highest mountains and our bodies in the form of microplastics and nanoplastics. A 2019 WWF report suggests that we consume an average of 5g or a debit card size of plastic a week. Toxics Link in 2024, found microplastic in all 10 samples of salt and 5 samples of sugar they studied in the Indian market. Microplastics have become part of our daily food and drinks and their impacts to our health is emerging rapidly.

There is mounting evidence of plastic and its additives are endocrine disruptors, cancer producing, contributing to hormonal disbalance, weight gain, infertilityas well as increased risk of heart attack. “Chemicals in Plastics: A Technical Report” UNEP 2023 states that “more than 13,000 chemicals have been identified as associated with plastics and plastic production across a wide range of applications. Ten groups of chemicals (based on chemistry, uses, or sources) are identified as being of major concern due to their high toxicity and potential to migrate or be released from plastics”. This number has been updated to over 16000 chemicals in plastic in the State of Science on Plastic Chemical report by PlastChem 2024. The impacts of plastic on biodiversity, water, air and soil health is also well documented that threatens the well-being of all.

Plastic waste is a production issue as well as a design flaw. The study, “Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made” highlighted this issue when they reported that only around 9% of all plastic ever made was recycled. The paper busted the myth of plastic recycling as the panacea of plastic pollution and highlighted the limits to recycling. Most plastics are transported across large distances even beyond national boundaries and downcycled, burnt or dumped in open landfills. To top it all, “Half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once — and then thrown away”UNEP 2018. The finite resources of the world cannot sustain a plastic production system where “Half of the plastic ever manufactured has been produced in the past 15 years.” World Bank 2018.  “In 2017, packaging production constituted the highest-demanded use of plastic, with 146 million metric tons used”Statistica

These are the reasons globally the International Negotiating Committee is working towards a global treaty to end plastic pollution. The INC is meeting soon and the world looks forward to a strong and binding treaty.

While globally, countries are attempting to address the issue, in the mountains, the plastic waste crisis has a Himalayan manifestation where owing to remoteness and accessibility issues, waste management systems are challenged and broken. A systematic approach to collection, aggregation and linkage to recycling is in its nascent stage for most areas. Even for places that have managed to set up systems of waste collection, the transport costs to link with recycling facilities that are far away in the plains is extremely high.  Linkages for recycling are largely dependent on the informal sector of waste pickers and waste dealers. These mountain issues have not been addressed by policies and resource allocation making redress challenging.

The main challenge also is that a large part of the plastic waste is non- recyclable plastics (mainly multilayered plastics) that have no solutions post disposal. The Himalayan Cleanup since 2018 have consistently shown that over 75% of plastic waste audited are non-recyclable. Single-use sanitary products like sanitary pads and diapers prove an additional challenge in the Himalaya for waste managers for its non-recyclability along with textile waste that are plastic based is also becoming an issue in the Himalaya.

These plastics just go up and accumulate in the mountains, even in the most remote corners, with no means for their recovery. Government norms stipulate that these plastics, categorised as residual waste, can be collected and sent as fuel in cement kilns, but for most mountain areas, the aggregation and transportation costs to send these to cement kilns is very high. This intervention does not factor in the environmental and toxic costs of burning plastic.

An important narrative shift has come through the Extended Producer Responsibility 2022 under the plastic waste management rules 2016 that demands companies be responsible for their plastic waste but like with all other policies, this has found very little implementation in the mountains. Given the socio-ecological importance and fragility of the Himalayan region, companies must take more efforts to ensure safeguarding of these spaces through better management of their plastic waste. The situation, sadly, is quite the opposite where companies take a one way up approach to send their products up the mountains but take no responsibility for its management.

Importantly, companies must work to design waste out of the production systems, and move from linear systems to adopting circularity. Materials that have no solutions  and will only pile up (such as food wrappers) makes no sense to be produced in the first place, and these have to be eradicated. India’s Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016 had stipulated the phasing out of multilayered plastics within 2 years. But right before the 2 years passed, the rule was changed for such plastics to be energy recoverable or in simple terms, burnt for energy. This has become highly problematic as burning for waste is a false solution that has been promoted. Not only is it polluting and adding to the climate crisis but also such false narratives promote the production of more plastics.

Reuse and refill systems that were prevalent in the past were proven solutions and have to be promoted and brought back to push back on single use plastics. There is a need to look at waste from a complete life cycle perspective and not just end of life management issues.

Besides the plastic waste problem, what is lurking in the shadows is the issue of ill health that comes from ultra processed food consumption that the plastic packages contain. The Himalayan Cleanup 2024 showed that over 84% of all plastic audited came from food and beverage packaging of which over 70% was non-recyclable. Ultraprocessed food is now shown to be one of the key contributing factors to non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes type II and hypertension. These industrially produced edible substances also impact mental well being.

Awareness on impacts of ultraprocessed foods is extremely low. They are also  celebrity endorsed and pushed through heavy advertisements. Companies also do not clearly label the ingredients of their products. There is an increasing practice of greenwashing through clever use of words like – eco, bio, real, natural, organic or green, which leaves consumers confused. A clear front of package labeling that is easy to understand for all is urgently required. Targeted advertisements of junk food to children also must be restricted. The lunch boxes of school children have also succumbed to the plastic packaged foods onslaught. It is imperative that school children eat healthy, fresh and wholesome balanced meals sourced locally. Movements on this are underway in India and are slowly picking up momentum but there is still a long way to go.

Eating locally produced foods and promoting local food systems packed in traditional biodegradable packing materials in local markets that are abundantly prevalent across the Himalaya has to be foregrounded as waste action. Waste needs to be addressed in its multidimensionality of food and nutrition security, public health, biodiversity and the climate crisis.

The change in narrative from a complete life span perspective of plastic is key to address the crisis we have created. All of us have a role to play in reducing our waste, saying no to single-use plastic and adopting the various alternatives that World Environment Day 2025 calls on us to practise in our everyday lives. At the individual and community level, reducing and refusing the use of plastic are powerful solutions that shift the narrative from recycling and end of life waste management issues to an individual lifestyle choice to not produce waste. Detox from plastic as well as shifting into alternatives enables the exploration of intersections of plastic waste from the lens of local and unpackaged food markets and systems, composting and growing your own food and saying no to plastic packaged and ultra processed foods, DIYs (do it yourself) and repair initiatives, sustainable menstrual products and slow fashion and most importantly creating communities of practitioners.

The change in lifestyle becomes the basis for us to demand systemic changes that solve the problem and not shift it. Our individual actions have to be institutionalised and institutional processes that ensure reduction of plastic consumption are real solutions to be promoted. Plastic waste management at the local level stands upon good practices of solid waste management thus the basic “segregation at source”, decentralised treatment and linkages have to become the norm that is practised.

Demanding and ensuring extended producer responsibility is critical as plastic pollution is a production issue. Ultimately the problematic plastics have to be designed out of the system and companies have to shoulder their responsibility to end plastic pollution.

Writes – Priyadarshinee Shrestha / Roshan Rai

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And whenever we talk about World Environment Day or Environment, few very common terminologies like, Deforestation, Pollution, Global warming and Climate Change etc strike our mind. Here later two are the consequences of first two, which slowly but visibly are making negative impacts on the biological as well as physical environment that we are a part of. The whole world is worried about mother earth and World Environment Day is a response to that worry.

Our region being mostly covered under Tea Gardens, Chincona Garden and Government Forest Area hasn’t much seen Rampant Deforestration. Though mono-culture is environmentally hazardous too, however it is perhaps of these plantations, we have enough green cover still intact. In addition thanks to the tree plantation work done by Govt, NGOs, and nature lovers, our green cover has continued to remain positive.

However when it comes about Pollution, we do have greater issues.

Air Pollution: We haven’t experienced much of Air Pollution (comparatively to many other cities), thanks to physiographic and green surroundings.

But when it comes about Water and Land, pollution level is indeed worrisome. In fact, many of our rivers and water bodies are dying. Rampant Hydro Power project dams (Read as a case of over exploitation of resources) and so called “Development” around our water bodies is murderous. And sadly we have been just a mute spectator to the rampant exploitation of our environmental resources.

To add to the murderous development activities of our rivers, we are also contributing towards the death of hills with uncontrolled solid waste generation and unscientific disposal.

Land pollution or Solid waste- our region is slowly and steadily competing with the rest. Human life is impossible without the uses of various natural and man-made materials. May it be in domestic sector, agriculture, commercial or industrial sectors, we produce huge amount of solid waste regularly. And with the lack of proper management of these wastes, we have been polluting our farming land, water resources, creating disasters (drainage blockage, landslides), disease hazards etc.

GTA region doesn’t have much of manufacturing industries; hence the major source of Pollution can be taken as domestic and commercial centers (markets). Good population score with Good flow of tourist, Towns and Bazar areas in GTA regions are increasingly suffering from garbage pollution. Solid Waste management – Collection, deposition and disposal of solid waste in proper way is demand as well as need of the time. And this need isn’t confined within the urban centers, but in rural areas too.

Though there were many cleanliness drives and activities going on, but in recent, campaign of Swachh Bharat by PM Narendra Modi has brought greater surge in such activities. Beside Policy criteria of Cleanliness for the grants to Developing Smart cities by Government has also made authorities and denizens to be little aware and wary about. However our towns are still very far in cleanliness ranking. And that can be felt in ground too.

What can be done?

Whenever we talk about Environment and pollution and as mitigating measures we draw 3Rs – Reuse, Recycling and Reduction of use. But what I think is before we get to those 3R , we need our self to be 2R – Rational and Responsible.

First of all we must be rational and responsible enough to be Aware, Practice and Preach about solid waste management. Simple practice of not littering own surrounding (wherever we are) will do a lot. (I am not writing ‘Use dustbin’, as it may not be available everywhere and that doesn’t mean we throw our unwanted stuff anywhere)

Solid waste can be broadly classified into 2 categories Biodegradable (Kuhiney) and Non-Biodegradable (Nakuhiney). Biodegradable waste gets broken down in short span of time (few weeks to months) and are not much hazardous. Whereas Non-biodegradable waste doesn’t break down easily and persist in the environment causing many hazards.

As the disposal process and time of these two different types of solid wastes is totally different, it is advisable to deal with these two types of waste separately.

If we will be able to practice the collection of wastage (at domestic or commercial sectors) separately as Biodegradable and Non-biodegradable half of the work towards proper solid management will be done. Though this may sound difficult to practice, but it is rather very easy and can be easily implemented.

What we need is Rational and responsible mindset and culture. It is all about developing a culture. It will take time but it can be done. In fact many of the Tea Garden Management have been practicing this separate collection of garbage.

Biodegradable wastes can be converted into fertilizer through composting process. And can help us in developing organic manure. Financial benefits too, by marketing the organic manure.

However, the practice must be done far from human settlement and drinking water sources, as the breaking down of biodegradable substances create foul odour and can pollute our drinking water.

Non-Biodegradable solid waste can be well managed by 3R formula

Reduction of use: As we don’t have any better facilities available for the disposal of non-biodegradable waste, it becomes our responsibility to limit or reduce the production of such waste. Or simply reduce the use. For example: Plastic bags, bottles are Non-degradable, so either don’t use or reduce the use.

Reuse: Many solid wastes can be reused, either for the same or other purpose. Utilizing discarded bottles, jars, cans as flowerpots to creating mats from plastic bag piles Various innovative reuse of discarded non-biodegradable things are in practice. This reciprocally helps in reducing the production of wastes too.

Recycling: some non-degradable waste can be – Collected –Reprocessed – Recreated. Especially with metallic wastes. But the process is costlier than others.

Besides that, Landfill process is also widely practiced by but it’s just shifting the problem from one place to another. Incineration process is too expensive for our region to be done in bigger scale.

Everything mentioned here is nothing new, and very commonly heard thing. But yeah.. its just ‘heard thing’ and not practiced thing. And these aren’t just a ‘Practice of a day’ thing but gradually ‘Developing as a culture thing’.

And lastly, there’s great need of Population de-concentration from our town areas. Time is to brainstorm for this from every stakeholder in our society. Suggestive and constructive comments are awaited.

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हरेक साल, कुनै पनि आयोजक देशको सहायताले सयुक्त राष्ट्र पर्यावरण कार्यक्रम अथवा यूएनइपी-ले पर्यावरण दिवसको आयोजना गर्ने गर्दछ। पर्यावरण दिवसको पालना गर्नुको प्रमुख उद्देश्य नै, हरेक साल पर्यावरण अनि यसमाथिको चुनौतीहरूको व्यापक जागरुकता अनि चर्चा गर्नु साथै सठिक प्रावधान अनि योजना वा परिकल्पनाहरू तयार गर्नु वा वैश्विक स्तरमा साझा गर्नु हो।

यो सालको पर्यावरण दिवसको आयोजना हाम्रो छिमेकी राष्ट्र पाकिस्तानले गरिरहेको छ भने, यो बर्षको पर्यावरण दिवसको बिषय अर्थात् थिम रहेको छ- “पारिस्थितिकी तंत्रको पुर्नस्थापना अर्थात् इकोसिस्टम रेस्टोरेसन्”।

हामी सबैलाई सर्वविदितै भएको कुरा हो की, यो परिवेशमा केवल हामी मानव संसाधन मात्र रहन असम्भव छ। मानव समाजको तंत्र प्रत्यक्ष अनि परोक्ष रूपमा कहिँ-कसैसँग निर्भरतामा रहेको छ भने आफ्नो अस्तित्वको निम्ति यो आवश्यक पनि हो। हाम्रो परिवेशमा, सजिव र निर्जीव वस्तुहरूको व्यापक समागम रहेको छ। यसै समागमको साहारामा नै हाम्रो अस्तित्व निर्भर रहेको छ।

मानिसलाई बस्ने घरदेखि लिएर, शुद्ध हावा (अक्सिजन), खाध्यान्न आदि सबैनै हाम्रो परिवेशको सजिव र निर्जीव वस्तुहरूको समागमले प्रदान गरेको छ।

इकोसिस्टम जसलाई हाम्रो भाषामा पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र भनेर भन्छौँ यसको अर्थ हुन्छ कुनै पनि परिवेशमा रहेको सजिव र निर्जीव वस्तुहरूको समागम वा व्यवस्था हो। इकोसिस्टम एउटा यस्तो तंत्र हो जहाँ सूक्ष्म जीवदेखि लिएर विशालकाय जीवहरू एउटा परिवेशभित्र रहेर एक अर्कामा परिपूरक भएका हुन्छन्। यदि उक्त तंत्र वा व्यवस्थामा कुनै एउटा सजीव वा निर्जीव वस्तुको अनुपस्थिती वा लोप हुन्छ भने, त्यसले सम्पूर्ण परिवेश र तंत्रलाई नै व्यापक प्रभाव पार्ने गर्छ।

दुर्भाग्यवश,  हाम्रो इकोसिस्टममा व्यापक ह्रासोन्मुख भइरहेको छ। पर्यावरणमाथिको हाम्रो व्यापक र गैरजिम्मेवारपूर्ण अभ्यास र स्वार्थ मनोवृत्तिको फलस्वरुप हामीले, हामीबिचको संतुलनलाई विस्तारै गुमाइरहेका छौँ। आजभन्दा दुई दशक अघिसम्म हामी यसबारे अनभिज्ञ वा कम-चिन्तित थियौं भने, वर्तमानमा, हामीलेनै ल्याएको परिवेश-असंतुलनले अब हामीलाई सबैभन्दा धेर प्रभावित गरिरहेको छ, जो स्थानीय स्तरदेखि लिएर वैश्विक स्तरको मानव समाजको निम्ति खतराको घन्टी हो।

यिनै परिवेश असंतुलनको खतरालाई ध्यानमा राख्दै, यसपालीको पर्यावरण दिवस 2021-को थिम अर्थात् बिषय-इकोसिस्टम पुर्नस्थापना  राखिएको छ।

आउनुहोस्, आज हामी कसरी हामी व्याक्तिगत वा स्थानीय स्तरमा हाम्रो इकोसिस्टमलाई पुर्नस्थापना गर्न सक्छौँ भन्ने अभ्यासहरूबारे चर्चा गर्नेछौँ। यदि हामीमा पर्यावरण र परिवेशप्रति व्यवहारिकता आएमा, हामीले धेरै सकारात्मक प्रभाव हाम्रो परिवेशमा पार्न सक्छौँ।

1) तपाईको परिवेशलाई सकेभर प्राकृतिक अनि हरियाली राख्ने प्रयास गर्नुहोस्। आफ्नो वरिपरिको परिवेशलाई प्राकृतिक रूपमा नै राख्नु आजको बदलिँदो विकासमा धेरै कठिन छ तर, हामीले यो सधैँ याद गर्नपर्छ की, हामी मात्र यो परिवेशमा बाँचेका छैनौँ। हामीसँग धेरैवटा सजिव र निर्जीव वस्तुहरू निर्भर छन् भने हामी पनि यस्ता वस्तुहरूमाथि त्यतिनै निर्भर छौँ । यसैकारण परिवेशलाई सकेभर हरियाली अनि प्राकृतिक राख्ने प्रयास गरौँ।

2) एकपटक मात्र प्रयोग गरिने पोलिथिन व्यागको प्रयोगलाई कम गरौँ। हामी सबैलाई सर्वविदितै छ कि,  एकपटक मात्र प्रयोग गरिने पोलिथिन व्यागले हाम्रो परिवेशमा अत्यधिक हानी पुर्याउने गर्दछ। अहिले चारैतिर बजारहरू, गाउँ बस्ती, नाला-झोडा, पर्यटक स्थलहरू, घरको कूडादान आदि सबैने ग्रसित छ पोलिथिनको रोगले।

यसैकारण,  सकेभर पोलिथिनको प्रयोग कम गरौँ। साग-सब्जीको खरिददारी गर्दा, बजारमा किनबेच गर्दा पोलिथिनको व्यापक प्रयोगलाई कम गर्नेअभ्यास गरौँ  प्रयोगमा ल्याइएको पोलिथिनलाई जथाभावी फ्याक्नको सट्टा, अन्य कुनै कार्यमा प्रयोग गर्ने गरौँ साथै फ्याक्न परेमा पनि यो नकुहुने फोहोरको सठिक व्यवस्थापन सुनिश्चित गर्न अति आवश्यक छ।

3) स्थानीय स्तरमा जैविक किनबेचको अभ्यास गरौँ। स्थानीय हाट-बजारमा जैविक अनि स्थानीय स्तरमा उत्पादन भएका साग-सब्जीहरू, फलफूल अनि अन्य सामाग्रीहरूको किनबेच गर्ने प्रयास गरौँ । यसो गर्नाले बाहिरबाट आउने अनावश्यक फोहोरहरूको प्रकार र मात्रा दुवैमा व्यापक कमि आउनेछ। ठूला-ठूला सपिंग मालहरूमा गएर किनेका थोकैपछिको पोलिथिन व्याग थाप्नभन्दा र सानोभन्दा सानो वस्तुहरू पनि पोलिथिनको सिलबन्द धोक्रोभित्र किनेर भक्कु फोहोर उत्पादन गर्नुभन्दा स्थानीय स्तरको खरिददारी गर्नु बढी बुद्धिमत्ता हुन्छ। यसले स्थानीय स्तरको अर्थतन्त्रलाई पनि मजबुती दिने गर्दछ।

4) तपाईको वरिपरिकी वन्यजीवहरूको अवलोकन अनि खबर लिनुहोस्। हाम्रो वरिपरि रहने विभिन्न वन्यजीवहरू हाम्रो इकोसिस्टमको निम्ति प्रमुख परिपूरकहरू हुन्। इकोसिस्टममा मानवको उपस्थिति जत्तिको महत्वपूर्ण छ; त्यतिनै महत्वपूर्ण यहाँ रहेका वन्यजीवहरूको पनि छ। यसैकारण हाम्रो परिवेशमा भएका वन्यजीवहरूको अवलोकन अनि खबर लिनु हाम्रो परिवेश स्वास्थ्य अनि स्वच्छताको एक मापदण्ड मान्न सकिन्छ। आजभन्दा पाँच बर्ष अघिको वन्यजीवहरू के वर्तमानमा त्यहि परिवेशमा विधमान छन् वा अब देख्न पाइन्न, यस्ता अवलोकनहरूले हाम्रो परिवेश स्थितिको बारेमा अध्ययन गर्न अनि यसको पुर्नस्थापना गर्न सहयोग गर्छ।

5) आफ्नो कार्बन-फूटप्रिन्टलाई सकभर घटाउनुहोस। जतिसक्दो छोटो दुरीको यात्राहरू पैदल गर्नुहोस्। बजार किनबेच गर्न जाँदा वा कहि, केहीक्षणको निम्ति जाँदा यदि, दुरि नजिक भएको खण्डमा पैदल हिडनुहोस्। यसले गाडीहरूबाट उत्सर्जन हुने कार्बनको मात्रा पर्यावरणमा कम हुन्छ भने तपाईको स्वास्थ्यलाई पनि यसले फाइदा गर्नेछ।

6) पर्यावरण संरक्षण अनि पर्यावरणमाथि काम गर्ने संस्थाहरूसंग जोडिनुहोस। हाम्रो ठाउँमा धेरैवटा पर्यावरण संरक्षण अनि पर्यावरणमाथि कार्यहरू गर्ने गैरसरकारी संस्थाहरू छन्; जोहरूसंग हामी जोडिएर पर्यावरण संरक्षण, जागरुकता आदि सामाजिक कार्यहरूमा हात बढाउन सक्छौँ। यो हामीले गर्नुपर्ने कर्तव्य पनि हो। आफ्नो फाइदाको निम्ति मात्र होइन तर, पर्यावरण र हाम्रो परिवेशको निम्ति पनि हामीले जिउने बानि बसाल्नु पर्छ।

7) अरूहरूलाई पर्यावरण संरक्षणमाथि जागरूक अनि हौसला दिनुहोस्। यदि तपाई जागरूक हुनुहुन्छ भने, तपाई र मेरो कर्तव्य यो पनि हो कि,  हामीले अन्यलाई पनि पर्यावरण संरक्षण,  स्वच्छता,  संतुलित व्यवस्थापन आदिमाथि जागरूक गराउन पर्छ साथै यो अभियानमा जोड्दै लानपर्छ। विशेषगरी आउने पुस्तालाई पर्यावरण संरक्षण अनि यसको संतुलित व्यवस्थापनमाथि समयमानै जागरूक गराउन आवश्यक देखिन्छ।

आउनुहोस् यो बर्षको पर्यावरण दिवसमा प्रण गरौँ कि, हाम्रो परिवेश र यसको स्वास्थ्य तानाबानाहरूलाई हामीले अक्षुण राख्ने अनि भत्किएका साथै असंतुलित पारिस्थितिकी तंत्रलाई पुर्नस्थापना गर्दै जाउँ; ताकि हाम्रो भोलीका दिनहरू स्वच्छ हावा र स्वास्थ्य परिवेशमा बित्न सकोस्।

सम्पूर्ण पाठकवर्गमा, पर्यावरण दिवस 2021-को हार्दिक शुभकामना!!

लेखक – नोएल गिरी

The post विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस 2021: पारिस्थितिकी तंत्रको पुर्नस्थापना appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Unspoken Unheard…. The Crisis of Environmental Degradation. (The Mountains are Crying)

Phew!!! The election fever in the hills has never been so colorfully, dramatized magnified in the agenda of the Election Campaign The good feeling of wellness swelled in each heart as the hills were telescoped from the national and state capital, eminent statesmen, celebrities, and even hookers flooded our vales and dales. Foes turned into friends, friends into foes, but for the first time in decades, politicking pushed the perennial demand of Gorkhaland to the periphery of the poll campaign. My priority is not in such details for I have long ceased to comprehend the political evolution of the hills for that matter not even the tools of the greatest contemporary social scientist would be able to figure out that.

Seriously what worries me is the signal of the short timeline in hand to address the problem of the environmental crisis in the hills but first I want to shoot you with a shotgun if you again confuse DEVELOPMENT with Construction.

Let me throw you with some arrows to awake you…” Do you remember the date of the last earthquake when you swore to God that you would never add another storey to your building? Nepal earthquake in 2018 magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale which killed 1200 people and injured more than 25000 people 2011 Sikkim earthquake. Just last month In South East  Sikkim then recently in Assam. These are not just earthquakes but swarms of earthquakes that last for days or weeks not only because of tectonic movement but also because of geothermal and hydrothermal according to geophysics. ( scroll to Google what they mean) This fundamentally means things have not changed.

Year after year, you and I wear a mask ( mind you not NDY mask to protect corona right ) read a story, quick to button at social media ..QUAKE BE SAFE …and we seek countless devise construed by the FB to make feel safe…Our Memory is so short-lived. So much is spoken so much is seen so much is heard, so much is learned since a kid, through schooling, through higher learning, but we like fools do not hear it until the damage is done

For the last decade, no plans have been chalked to deal with the environmental crisis by the government. Did you hear any slogans of “Preservation Conservation and Protection of the queen of hills .” in any election campaign. Maybe right now 5th h June you will hear a lot of this stuff but as the day sets so does the Slogan. Only after the tragedy or loss of lives so much is said relief is given as another vote bank.

We are not dumb to the ever-growing number of tourists and population that have been exerting pressure on the fragile ecosystem of Darjeeling Kalimpong and Kurseong hills. The hills are transformed into cosmopolitan cities and cease to be sustainable eco-tourism. If you need to understand what is sustainable tourism please do refer to the research paper (Sustainable tourism of Darjeeling Hills by Dr. Sherpa  Bhutia ) The steady deforestation accentuates the problem of soil erosion and culminates into landslide every monsoon. The problem of drying of springs and changes of the water table has been intense and constantly reminded by the N.G.O ‘Save the Hills’.

A study says by 2025 Bangalore is going to dry of all the lakes and every household would run out of water, but the government has already directed their attention to this anticipation, no worries for the city of silicon of our country.

Now back home how many of you cut down your essentials to buy water. My pocket is tight purchasing water every alternate day while in the mid-afternoon a river of wastewater runs almost 2kms down the drain, while we residents from Park to Sado Bato desperately eye this life energy, files lie with dust and dirt of our complain listlessly unattended.

The danger is spiked by the total disregard for the building norms formulated by the British colonial government. There has been a proliferation of unauthorized buildings and every nook and corner with no regard for slope stability which should be 35 degree but now incongruously castles perch on the ledge of 70, 80 degrees No doubt Insomnia cripple us at every quake or slide.

Draft E.I.A ( Environmental Impact Assessment ) 2020: ”Is Environmental Justice A myth of Reality in Darjeeling hills”  by Vicay workers in Environment 2020 is a commendable article on the Environmental Impact Assessment a planned intervention by the state that guides infrastructure development project in mitigating the impact it would have possibly on the environment and other socio-economic cultural and human health factors.

My point in quoting this reference is illuminating on a long-forgotten episode rather humorous on Public hearing through the press of the E.I.M Teesta Low Dam Project.  A handful of representatives from the public were requested to air out our opinions on the panel. Not knowing what all this about but as a young dynamic enthusiast of the environment  I piped in when I have interrogated the knowledge that I had assimilated over the years that the Teesta low dam project was a permanent time bombshell for the degradation of the hills for as early as 1928 in Colonial British the river Teesta was potent to harness the energy, but the environmental impact was so alarming for the fragile hills that the British dared not.

I quoted very honestly that  Environmental Impact Assessment stated “There are more than 15 faultlines multiple active faults lies on the highway between Sevoke to Khali Jhora along the teesta river. The Scientist feared that it would trigger earthquakes of 8 on Ritcher scale, not forgetting the landslide blab la .”At the end of the press meeting, I was like a jester of Shakespeare’s play needed to conceal the truth. The press meeting was an intentional mock programme of the Project graced with the Project Manager, director, geologist representatives of the alleys, and only we a handful of the public hadn’t the slightest clue to the purpose of our presence.

The project was the outcome of high-handed undemocratic gross violation of the laws of the land and the project authorities. Dissent of the local communities living in this gorge. How many of them were displaced with false hope and promises but the greatest fallout was the sheer arrogant disregard for the environment. If you are interested in details look up the research papers of the activists Mr. Soumitra Ghosh “ The case of Teesta low dam Project stage 111 and 1v in Sub Himalayan North Bengal.

I vehemently don’t what to pick up with “What was done cannot be undone and what is beyond our control we  let go as of the virus.”

Nevertheless, the natural catastrophe every year we lament is the true witness to testify the Natural Degradation of unimaginable magnitude. I’m MUTE…

Oops Railway tunnels are blasting.

THEN why does it become Mandatory to Celebrate … World Environment Day…Shouldn’t we be digging our own graves ..but that may be pricy too…..more merciful maybe  One quake of 8 on the Richter scale at one blow at one Go may bury us to extinction …to excavate our elements at posterity by the archeologist.

This is interesting …

THE BOTTOM LINE

The environmental problem facing the hills is much more complicated than the virus crisis which will flatten in course of time but the environmental Degradation that has lopsided the ecosystem in balance will incur retribution ever witnessed in the history of mankind.

Writes: Theckla Dhakal

The post The Mountains Are Crying appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The Himalayan Cleanup (THC) is an annual event conducted on May 26 across the Himalayan states of India by the Integrated Mountain Initiative and Zero Waste Himalaya. It was initiated in 2018 in conjunction with the ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ theme of World Environment Day. The main objective of the cleanup is to bring attention the problem of waste in the mountains, specifically single use plastic waste.

In 2018, the Himalayan Cleanup cleaned up 250+ sites from the 12 Himalayan States, with participation of 15000+ volunteers mobilised by more than 200 organisations. It brought to fore the issue of waste in the mountains at the local, national and international level, through a day dedicated to cleaning up our mountains and understanding what is causing the mess. It highlighted the need for a mountain lens to waste management. ‘It is just a beginning to know what’s in our waste and then reflect on how to reduce them”(Deependra Sunar WWF India)

With the success of THC 2018; the solidarity and volunteerism across the 12 Himalayan States of India (IHR) and the focus it brought on waste, the cleanup was continued on May 26 across the IHR. This year the cleanup was organised across 10 Himalayan states with more 90 sites being cleaned up by around 80 organisations who mobilised around 5500 volunteers on May 25 – 26, 2019.

Important sites that were cleaned up on the day were the Pangong Tso Lake in Leh (which at an altitude of 4,350 metres was the highest site cleaned), Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, Seven Sisters Waterfall and Tashi View Point in Sikkim along with many others towns and villages in Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura. 

Tiger Hill, 8 Mile Khola, Mall Road and Mahakal Dara, Camellia School to TV tower, Railwayline, Kurseong, Lanku Valley, Kalimpong Municipality, Gorubathan were the major cleanup sites in Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

“The Himalayan Cleanup this year opened our eyes to the enormity of the waste problem that has engulfed our beloved hills of Darjeeling. We realised that it is a difficult and steep climb uphill but our experiment and experience this year of building synergy with the community showed us that it is possible indeed to solve the problem. We are mountain folks after all and overcoming adversity and climbing uphill is ingrained in all of us” Utsow Pradhan, Tieedi, Save 8 Mile Khola campaign.

The cleanup was organised following uniform protocols of conducting a waste and a brand audit after proper segregation of the collected waste. The main categories were PET bottles (water/ soft drink bottles/ oil), Multilayered plastic (chips/ biscuits/sweets/shampoo/gutka), TetraPak cartons (juice,milk,lassi), Other plastic items (shampoo jars/buckets/ containers), Single use plastic (plastic bags/straw/ plastic spoons/ plates/ styrofoam cups and plates), Glass bottles, Tins/ Cans and other metal items, Paper, Cloth/ Textiles, Others. The different categories of waste were then counted by numbers and also weighed separately. Brand audit was conducted for the branded plastic items, as the top polluting companies emerged during the cleanup, volunteers also took pictures of those waste and post on social media tagging the companies.

For disposal of the waste, all recyclables were given for recycling to the scrap dealers, and support from the Governments, Local bodies were sought for transport of the ultimate discards of the unsegregated waste to the nearest dumping site. Some resorted to make eco-bricks of multilayered plastic collected since there is no existing solution as yet. The Himalayan cleanup was a zero waste event where no single use bottled water and packaged food was consumed by the volunteers.

The Himalayan level data generated forms valuable inputs to any policy level exercise and towards advocating for extended producer responsibility with companies whose products create maximum waste in the mountains.

The cleanup provided space for participants to get their hands dirty and reflect on the challenges of existing consumption patterns and waste so that they move towards sustainable lifestyles. With the campaign being conducted simultaneously across the mountain states, it generates enough participation and publicity to continue bringing the mountain’s waste issues to the forefront of the nation’s attention as well as influence community and local bodies waste management practices towards sustainability.  

“While auditing, had a sense of guilt realising how much we are adding to the plastic waste…infact our kids have vowed not to chew gum from now onwards” Bibaychana Sharma, Himali Boarding School Kurseong.

The data from the cleanup shall be compiled at a Himalayan level to generate an understanding on the types of plastic waste that are polluting the mountains, which should lead to improved and sustainable waste management solutions in the long run.

Multilayered Plastic, PET Bottles, TetraPack and single use plastic topped the waste audit in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong Himalaya. The Tiger Hill cleanup hosted by Scavengers, and Mahakal Dara cleanup hosted by Zero Waste Himalaya brought about plastic waste that are used for religious purposes. This plastic waste at religious sites have been a recent phenomenon and needs to have specific solutions designed for it. There needs to be a comprehensive planning and action around it with the involvement of all the stakeholders.

Scavengers, Anugyalaya DDSSS, Eco Club,Panchabatti HS School, Shelpu, Mount Carmel School, Kalimpong Municipality, Himali Boarding School Nature Club, Loreto Convent, Camellia School, Gyanoday Niketan, West Point School Darjeeling, Sai Sundaram School, Dilaram, GreenHill English School, Salesian College, Sonada, Gaun Chemek Saamaj, Vineeta Gram Samaj, Sai Samiti Ward No 9, Mukh Band Kam Suru, OKC Monastery, Sinchel Mandir Committee, Congress Primary School, MTB, Ghoom Degree College, Southfield College, ATREE, WWF India and DLR Prerna, Reyso, Earth and Home were the participating organisations besides many individuals who join the Himalayan Cleanup in Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

“For our children there must be something to look forward to, for that, we have to realise that we are destroying our natural resources, tiring out our land instead of using it to increase its usefulness by being wasteful. We are supposed to hand down an amplified, prosperous and beautiful world to the children and not the other way around” Shivangi Hamal, Camelia School, Darjeeling.

“We need to be responsible to minimise our plastic waste, for that we need to start somewhere and there is no better time than now” Roshan Sharma, DRDC, Swacch Bharat Mission.

The post World Environment Day: Taking Stock of Waste in Darjeeling appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.