Most of us like visiting the hills during the holiday season. The pure air, the greenery, and the simple living of the people in these regions is what attracts us. One other thing that we all indulge in is clicking selfies amidst all this beauty.
Now imagine your selfie cluttered with a garbage heap in the background, would you like that?
While the increase in the number of tourists visiting the hills has done wonders for the local economy, the pollution levels, especially the discarded plastic waste, is also increasing rapidly.
In an attempt to retain the beauty and the pristine greens in the Himalayan region, Pradeep Sangwan started an organisation, which he aptly named ‘Healing Himalayas’. Having always been a city dweller, his decision to move to Himachal Pradesh in 2009 came as a surprise to those who knew him.
Early years
Having studied in the military school in Ajmer, discipline was something that came very naturally to Pradeep. Like his father, it was expected that he would also join the armed forces and serve the nation.
However, life had different plans for him.
While in college, Pradeep took an interest in trekking, and that was the beginning for him. He says, “Bollywood plays a huge role to play in popularising the hills. Movies of friends going on holidays to trek and finding themselves on these adventures have inspired many to come here.”
He continues, “When I moved here bag and baggage almost nine years ago, I had no idea what I would do. It all took a while to come together.”
One of the first things that he did was to start a homestay in Manali to support himself.
The locals and their sustainable lifestyle
“The villagers revere nature. While they are not educated in the formal sense of the word, they certainly know how to care and protect the environment they live in,” he observes.
He goes to say that the practices that most of the villagers followed were all very eco-friendly, such as cooking in utensils that were owned by the community which left no need for plastic. Even the kind of food they cooked and consumed was natural and organic.
But somewhere along the way, influences from outside started creeping in, which altered their way of life.
The first winter at the hills
Recounting that first winter in 2009, he also recalls the sense of loneliness he felt. “I had moved to the hills without any concrete idea or plan of what I wanted to do.”
“That first winter left me feeling completely small.”
He goes on to say, “The winds used to be so strong, nothing like what we are used to when in the city. Without realising how cold it would be, I set out. Everyone around me in the village knew the intensity. They were prepared with the firewood, the clothes, stocking up on ration etc. And here I was in my converse shoes trying to make my way through the snow.”
That was a big learning experience for Pradeep.
Healing Himalayas
Along with a group of volunteers, Pradeep set out with jute bags to return with heaps of discarded waste along the trails. He says, “In an internal audit we did a few months ago, we found that we had collected around 4,00,000 kilos of non-biodegradable waste. This number would have gone up now.”
The waste that is collected is sent to two recycling plants in the state, where electricity is generated by converting waste. This is done with the help of the villagers.
Healing Himalayas conducts special activities, mass clean-ups and events in the community and schools to create awareness about the maintenance and restoration of the environment.
The maximum footfall of tourists is in places like Manali, Shimla, Lahaul and Spiti. Over the years, the increased interest in trekking is also popularising other routes. “Many of those who come here to trek have no idea what to expect or what it even entails. They come here carrying loads of food in plastic containers, water bottles, and loud music. In their quest to have a good holiday, they spoil the place and leave it in tatters,” says Pradeep.