Explained: Why Joshimath is sinking 🧵👇 Joshimath is a city in Chamoli District situated at a height of 6150 feet, it is the starting point of several treks and trails in the Himalayas. Joshimath is a gateway to Hemkund Sahib and Badrinath, one of the char dhams or the four Hindu pilgrimage sites.

#Thread
For the last many years, mountains have witnessed an increased spate in trekking activities. Mass trekking activities have resulted in the deterioration of the mountain ecosystem. From Mt. Everest to Valley of Flowers, waste mgt is the new challenge for the hills! #Trekking has been immensely famous amongst the youth residing in mega metropolises and other urban hubs of the country. Seeing it as a good economic opportunity, organizations have begun mass trekking activities which are proving to be fatal for the fragile #mountains!

#Thread How a weak EIA affects the fragile #Himalayan ecosystem? Missing from mainstream discussions, #mountains need a strong EIA policy. Sharing our first case study (with @ReDraftEIA2020) on rampant limestone and chromite mining in Mizoram.
#DraftEIA2020
#HimalayanWatch Over a period of last 3-5 yrs, the hill state of #Manipur has witnessed a steep increase in state-sponsored #mining activities for #limestone and #chromite. The state has been assessed to be holding large reserves of these minerals. #DraftEIA2020 #HimalayanWatch

#Thread - Uttarakhand HC passed a strong-worded order on Monday against the state govt for allowing the Auli Wedding by Gupta Brothers last year. We analyze the order, see what are the key takeaways & way ahead suggested by the court! #HimalayanWatch
@nivedita_Him @OmairTAhmad High Court was disposing of the last year's PIL filed by Kashipur based Lawyer, Rakshit Joshi. A division bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Ramesh Chandra Khulbe delivered the ruling on 27 July. PIL stated that the wedding was in violation of environmental norms.

As mountain states of #Himachal & #Uttarakhand resume #tourism, its the local communities that fear the risk of infection. We look at the example from #LahaulSpiti where locals are protesting against the resumed tourism activities.
Analysis by: @Writer_Rishabh & @stoic_gautamkr #LahaulSpiti is a tribal district in #HimachalPradesh with limited public health resources. Also, more than 50% population in the district suffers from hepatitis. In such a situation, locals are not happy with visitors coming from highly infected cities for a tour in the valley!

Once again, #Assam is badly hit by the floods. Despite an annual happening, the NE state has struggled to minimize the impact of floods on human life and property. We dedicate our #SundayThread to understand and share about #AssamFloods. We care about Assam!
PC: AIR Assam Various news reports states that in more than 22 of its 33 districts, more than 13 lakh people have been affected. A report by NDTV states that more than 35 people have died till date by flood & related incidents.

PC: Financial Express

#AssamFloods #Assam #SundayThread

#Thread: History of #DoonValley
Limestone quarrying was widely prevalent in Valley during the 80s. In order to give an economic push, it was the then Govt of UP that promoted limestone quarrying in the pristine hills of #Mussorie, giving rise to pollution and health hazards. But, very few know that #Mussoorie was one of the favorite spots for JL Nehru and Indira Gandhi. In fact, it was Indira Gandhi that took the bold step to impose a blanket ban on limestone quarrying in the #DoonValley. Locals hailed this move and praised the then PM Indira Gandhi.

Plastic waste is growing at a rapid rate. With cities being flooded with single-use plastic, Himalayan region is facing a similar crisis. A quick look at where all the Himalayan states stand with respect to plastic waste management. Follow this #TwitterThread!
#HimalayanWatch @WasteAid @aplastic_planet @WorldResources @Anoopnautiyal1 @down2earthindia @CPCB_OFFICIAL @icimod @IMI_Info The estimated plastic waste generation in #ArunachalPradesh is approx. 3787 T/Y during 2018-19. There are no plastic manufacturing or recycling units in the state. There is a partial ban on the use of plastic carry bags in East Siang, Tawang, Leparada Changlang, Kameng & Tirap.