सिल्क्यारा की त्रासदी में छिपी है हिमालय की पीड़ाThe pain of the Himalayas is hidden in the tragedy of Silkyara

Distinguished service in: Mr. Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand

On the auspicious occasion of World Mountain Day, heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to you and every hand and idea that made this work successful, for the lives of 41 workers trapped in the collapsed tunnel in Silkyara of Uttarkashi district, which the Uttarakhand government, under your able leadership, was able to save.

When the entire effort was being carried out in Silkyara to save the lives and ensure the safe return of 41 workers, I prayed to the Almighty and the Divine Mother that Silkyara's wish be fulfilled and that all 41 workers, having received the boon of life, return safely to their loved ones. There is immense joy in the success of Silkyara's wish.

The Himalayas have a clear message for all of us: be careful in time

You used the state's best disaster management organisation, the SDRF, but their tireless efforts were not successful in the initial phase. You tried modern machines available locally, then ordered more from Delhi and other states. You invited the most skilled experts, even from abroad, and ultimately sought the NDRF and the Army. In the end, abandoning the machines, the work was done by the manual force of rat miners, and all 41 workers were rescued.

The persistent delay in results made me feel as if some invisible force was sending a mysterious message through the Himalayas: wake up early, stop messing around in the Himalayas, or your patience is beginning to wear thin.

Ten years of warnings

In June 2013, the Kedarnath flood killed thousands of pilgrims. Between April and May 2016, 4,538 hectares of Uttarakhand forest burned; since statehood more than 44,000 hectares have been lost to fire. On 18 February 2021 the Nanda Devi glacier burst killed more than 200 at Vishnugad. On 4 October 2022, 27 mountaineers died on Draupadi ka Danda. In January 2023, over 500 homes cracked and sank in Joshimath. Then 41 workers spent 17 days inside Silkyara.

The Blueprint of Uttarakhand, 1996

In 1996, under my leadership, a student-youth campaign team met the Government of India at North Block to propose the creation of Uttarakhand. Our report, the Blueprint of Uttarakhand, argued that the Himalaya is an oxygen bank and a water bank for the whole of humanity, and that environmental protection must come first in every development model. We asked for a Himalayan resource centre on the model of ICIMOD in Kathmandu, and a Green Bonus for the people who keep the mountains: ₹2,000 crore a year then, rising to ₹5,000 crore — at today's value, ₹29,000 to ₹36,000 crore a year.

Physical grandeur exists in many places, but Badrinath Dham possesses spiritual divinity, which could be destroyed by unnecessary construction.

Jagadguru Swami Avimukteshwaranand, Shankaracharya, Jyotirmath

Land use changes, deforestation, slope destabilisation due to dam and road construction, and debris dumping have multiplied the human and environmental impacts of these climate events.

Letter of 130 environmentalists on Joshimath, 6 April 2023

Gaura Devi and our sisters from Chamoli were willing to have saws used on themselves to protect the trees. Today's system remains cruel to the Himalayas.

Bina Chaudhary, who fought to save Dhari Devi

The request

Please ensure that all schemes and projects undergo periodic, quality-based, long-term evaluation, and approve every infrastructure project with the Himalayan environment and ecology at the centre. Take the necessary steps to prevent Himalayan cities and villages from becoming concrete jungles. If major policy changes are required, or some unnecessary projects must be withdrawn, please do so without hesitation. Overall, the government should listen to the genuine pain of the Himalayas.

Wishing a bright future for Uttarakhand under your able leadership,

Devotee Mukund Krishna Das ("Sainik Shiromani" Manoj Dhyani)