While delivering the guest speech in the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Summit in Boston, USA, Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania highlighted the measures being taken by the state government to reshape Himachal's future through sustainable tourism.
Giving the credit to Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for the same, he stated that our government was re-imaging the state's future around green development, advanced healthcare and inclusive growth. Pathania said, “Our government believes that tourism must serve both the people and the planet.”
Highlighting the eco-tourism policy of the state, he said that a small Dharamshala assembly constituency was heading towards becoming the tourism capital of Himachal Pradesh. The region has enough potential for water tourism, especially in the Ramsar Wetland, popularly known as Pong Dam. Besides, there was huge scope for developing trekking routes in Dhauladhar ranges.
He said that besides the development of the Kareri lake in Dharamshala, the government was keen to develop water sports at Taleru in Chamera reservoir on river Ravi in the state.
Citing examples of introduction of water sports and Shikaras in Gobind Sagar dam, he apprised that Gobind Sagar Lake has become hub of water-sport activities which includes kayaking, boating and other similar activities.
“To promote eco tourism, the government plans to develop ropeways and discourage cutting of mountains for developing four-lanes. The government is also focusing on tunnels and ropeways to minimise unfavorable impact on the nature due to ever-growing development activity,” he said, adding that "Climate Justice for Himalayas is a climate justice for all,"
Pathania said Himalayas are under severe stress due to climate change, as glaciers in the region are retreating 15-20 meters annually, threatening water security in times to come. The number of cloudbursts and flashfloods have increased tremendously and forest fires are posing threat to biodiversity.
“The only solution to all this is promoting eco-tourism, as it is not just a revenue generation model but a much-needed climate action put in practice,” he added.
He also shared the measures being undertaken to realise the dream of 'Green Himachal-Clean Himachal' soon. Kewal Singh Pathania stated that e-vehicles were being promoted on a large scale and the entire fleet of our public transport was being replaced by e-vehicles in a phased manner.
“My State of Himachal Pradesh stands here today to share its experience and learn from the best Global practices for environmental conservation as we believe that eco-tourism, green energy and digital governance are the pillars of future-ready democracy,” he said.
He added that protecting mountains was a global responsibility. He said “Anything that happens in the Himalayas due to climate change affects river systems, leading to floods, erratic monsoons, and more. This directly impacts 1.9 billion people across Asia, making this a core issue at the global level.”
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