Shimla, Oct 19 – About 30 organisations and 40 individuals from across the Himalayan region have filed a joint request to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), urging the government to change how it manages disasters and prepares for climate change.
Under the People For Himalaya banner, the signatories say the repeated monsoon‑season catastrophes in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and Darjeeling have clearly shown that the mountains are fragile and that past governance has failed.
The 2025 rains produced floods, landslides, glacial‑lake outburst floods and cloudbursts that stole lives, wrecked homes and collapsed infrastructure. The losses point to decades of unchecked development and environmental damage.
“We need a decisive, coordinated response from both national and state governments,” the statement reads. It calls on the NDMA to:
* Strengthen post‑disaster needs assessment (PDNA) and provide quick financial help to affected states
* Finish PDNA studies already underway in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh without delay
* Launch expert teams in places where studies haven’t begun, like Darjeeling and northern Bengal, to examine social, environmental and livelihood impacts
The campaign wants the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to receive a lift that reflects the real risks in the mountains. It also proposes creating a dedicated disaster‑mitigation and climate‑adaptation fund for mountain states, with clear rules for transparency and public accountability.
A major concern is the role of large‑scale infrastructure projects. Highways, hydropower plants, tunnels and railways have disrupted riverbeds, destabilised slopes and cut forests, making the region more vulnerable. The groups demand that every new and ongoing mega project get an independent, scientific review to assess cumulative ecological and disaster risks. They also call for:
* A pause on projects that heighten exposure in fragile areas
* Stricter rules on tourism and commercial development
* Mandatory integration of climate‑change projections into all planning
The joint submission is backed by a wide range of organisations, such as Climate Front (Jammu), Citizens for Green Doon, Social Development for Communities Foundation, Joshimath Bachao Sangarsh Samiti, Himdhara Collective, Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, The Shimla Collective, Council for Democratic Civic Engagement, Youth For Himalaya, Indigenous Perspectives (Imphal), Uttarakhand Lok Vahini, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) and the MAUSAM Network.
The message is clear: the mountains need stronger disaster governance and smarter climate preparedness if India wants to protect its communities in the years ahead.
Source: ianslive
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