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Shimla, Oct 19 (IANS) Over 30 organizations and 40 individuals from the Himalayan region have submitted a joint representation to the high-powered committee of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), calling for urgent improvements in disaster governance and climate preparedness.
Also, they demanded that all ongoing and proposed mega projects undergo an independent and scientific review to assess their cumulative ecological and disaster risks.
A joint statement under the banner of the People for Himalaya campaign, said in the wake of devastating monsoon disasters that have exposed deep ecological fragility and governance “failures” in the mountain states.
The statement said the 2025 monsoon season has brought widespread devastation through floods, landslides, glacial lake outbursts and cloudbursts in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Northeast and Darjeeling.
These disasters resulted in massive loss of life, destruction of homes and collapse of infrastructure, as well as the cumulative effects of unscientific development, environmental degradation and decades of policy neglect in addressing mountain-specific vulnerabilities.
The signatories argue that the scale and frequency of such incidents demand a decisive and coordinated response from both national and state authorities.
People for Himalaya Campaign has called on NDMA to immediately strengthen post-disaster needs assessment and financial assistance to the affected states. It emphasizes that post-disaster assessment (PDNA) studies already underway in states like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh should be completed without any delay to guide unbiased and evidence-based rehabilitation and reconstruction.
In areas where such assessments have not yet begun, such as Darjeeling and other parts of North Bengal, the central government has been urged to form expert teams and initiate detailed studies of the social, environmental and livelihood impacts of the disasters.
The statement calls for a substantial increase in the allocation of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to reflect the complex and growing risks in the Himalayas, and recommends the creation of a dedicated disaster mitigation and climate adaptation fund for mountain states with mechanisms for transparency and public accountability.
A central concern raised by the presentation is the need to address the role of large-scale infrastructure projects in increasing disaster vulnerability.
It notes that areas with extensive construction of highways, hydropower projects, tunnels and railways have been worst affected, as these projects disrupt river beds, destabilize slopes and cause deforestation.
The campaign demands that all ongoing and proposed mega projects undergo an independent and scientific review to assess their cumulative ecological and disaster risks.
It also calls for halting projects that increase risks and vulnerabilities in fragile terrain, strict regulation of tourism and commercial infrastructure, and the integration of climate change projections into all planning processes.
The joint presentation has been supported by organizations and individuals in India and abroad, including Climate Front (Jammu), Citizens for Green Doon (Uttarakhand), Social Development for Communities Foundation (Uttarakhand), Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (Uttarakhand), Himdhara Collective (Himachal Pradesh), Himalaya Niti Abhiyan (Himachal Pradesh), The Shimla Himachal Pradesh, India and the Pacific. Collective (Himachal Pradesh), Council for Democratic Civic Engagement (Sikkim), Youth for Himalaya, Indigenous Perspectives (Imphal), Uttarakhand Lok Vahini (Uttarakhand), National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), and Mausam Network.
–IANS
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