Chat Archives

Chat on "Green Hiking in the Himalayas" dated August 21, 2011

Ragini Letitia Singh: Hi. I'm already here
Ragini Letitia Singh: Was I supposed to be early?
Susan Sharma: Hi Ragini
Susan Sharma: That is fine. Hope you did not find it difficult to enter the chat room
Ragini Letitia Singh: No :)
Ragini Letitia Singh: I was just being paranoid
Susan Sharma: Ok. No problem. others will join in slowly I hope
Ragini Letitia Singh: I must clearly re-iterate that I am not an expert on ecotourism and can only talk from my experience of working with WWF. I myself am learning as I go along
srinivas: have joined in for the chat
Susan Sharma: Hi all, ragini shall we start? You can start by giving a small intro about what WWF is doing in the Himalayan region
PRASANTA KUMAR CHAKI: hi! I HAVE ALSO JOINED .HOW ARE YOU ALL ? I MIGHT BE THE LATEST ENTITY,I THINK SUSAN
Ragini Letitia Singh: Hi
srinivas: is the green hike program the first of its kind in the himalayas
srinivas: hi
Ragini Letitia Singh: Hi everybody
Ragini Letitia Singh: There are a few small initiatives that have been started in the Himalayas
Ragini Letitia Singh: But I think Green Hiker is turning out to be the biggest so far
Ragini Letitia Singh: It's focus also stems from the conservation work we are doing for the high altitude wetlands
Ragini Letitia Singh: So to give a brief introduction to the work we do, here goes
Ragini Letitia Singh: About 14-15 years ago, we recognised the high altitude wetlands (at 3,000asl and above) to be in danger
Ragini Letitia Singh: These are mainly fed by glacial melt and snow and provide water to everybody downstream
PRASANTA KUMAR CHAKI: ACTUALLY WHAT IS GREEN HIKING ? I AM 'NOVISH' IN THIS MATTER .
Ragini Letitia Singh: These are the wetlands that feed our rivers, so if these get impacted, our whole hydrological system is in danger
Ragini Letitia Singh: I'll get to that slowly
Ragini Letitia Singh: for sure
Ragini Letitia Singh: So in order to save these waterbodies, we started a programme called 'Saving Wetlands Sky-High'
Ragini Letitia Singh: We identified the most threatened lakes, which also had the most ecological and cultural significance
srinivas: Where any keystone species have been identified, if a preliminary survey had been performed
Ragini Letitia Singh: Since unsustainable tourism has turned out to be one of the biggest threats to this fragile ecosystem, we launched the Green Hiker campaign to raise awaress
Ragini Letitia Singh: awareness
Ragini Letitia Singh: about how vulnerable this region is - because most people don't know or realised
Ragini Letitia Singh: realise
Ragini Letitia Singh: Second, the campaign aims to encourage tourism practises that are more 'green' and sustainable
Ragini Letitia Singh: I think that's a good enough introduction. Now we can start our discussion if anybody has any points to make
srinivas: what is the core activities in the campaign program
PRASANTA KUMAR CHAKI: WHICH ARE THOSE LAKES ?
Ragini Letitia Singh: Well, we focus on awareness-raising which is the first and most basic step - to change the minds of people and to inform them
Ragini Letitia Singh: Our target audience is tourists, tour operators, hotel owners, taxi unions, government and forest department officials
Ragini Letitia Singh: We have conducted training workshops on 'Practising Responsible Tourism'
Ragini Letitia Singh: We work with school children too and conduct clean-up drives around the lakes and on trekking paths leading to them
srinivas: do these wetlands come under the Ramsar sites
Ragini Letitia Singh: Some of them have been identified as Wetlands of International Importance by the Ramsar convention
Ragini Letitia Singh: Like Chandertal lake
Ragini Letitia Singh: That's one of the sites
srinivas: key fauna & flora
Ragini Letitia Singh: In India, we are working on Tsomoriri, Tsokar, Pangong Tso, Chushul and Hanle in Ladakh so far
Ragini Letitia Singh: We are slowly beginning work in the Pir Panjal wetlands too
Sandeep Ghosh.: Good Evening, Friends! The first requirement is at least a practical interpretation of the forest laws governing the wilderness!
Ragini Letitia Singh: We are working in J&K, HP, Arunachal, Sikkim and Uttarakhand
Sandeep Ghosh.: These laws are as applicable to these lakes sites as they are to other wilderness areas.
srinivas: original wildlife at of India has been replaced with recent one in 2003
Ragini Letitia Singh: You can check out the National Wetlands Rules that came out in December 2010
PRASANTA KUMAR CHAKI: WHAT IS YOUR PLANNING ?
Sandeep Ghosh.: I maybe wrong so feel free to correct me if any one of you do feel so.
Ragini Letitia Singh: These have laid a special emphasis on high altitude wetlands as vulnerable and ecologically important
Ragini Letitia Singh: Planning for what?
Sandeep Ghosh.: I suppose what Prasanta means is what strategy to follow.
PRASANTA KUMAR CHAKI: TO ADVANCE THIS PROZECT ?
PRASANTA KUMAR CHAKI: SORRY! PROJECT,
Ragini Letitia Singh: Well, I am not assigned to work on strategy, but basically, we work with local governments
Ragini Letitia Singh: with whom we share proposals comprising what we want to do in a particular wetland site
srinivas: how was the response for the works at Tsomoriri, Tsokar, Chushul
Ragini Letitia Singh: And local panchayats wherever they exist.
Ragini Letitia Singh: In Arunachal, most of our conservation efforts are in partnership with the Tawang monastery
Sandeep Ghosh.: How many people e.g. hikers, tour operators, tourism officers etc are aware of the National Wetland Rules?
Ragini Letitia Singh: Well, these are fairly new
Sandeep Ghosh.: Including your local panchayats!
Sandeep Ghosh.: and do they at all follow what is written within?
Ragini Letitia Singh: And it takes time for laws and policies to be assimilated into the system right down to the grassroots level
Sandeep Ghosh.: Who interprets these rules and how are they conveyed?
Ragini Letitia Singh: There is not as much awareness about laws and policies as there should be
Sandeep Ghosh.: Who are the people spreading this awareness?
Ragini Letitia Singh: But that's why we are here
srinivas: Are there any keystone species in the area
srinivas: that is vulnerable
srinivas: and listed in Red Data
Ragini Letitia Singh: Black-necked Crane
Sandeep Ghosh.: fine. I am willing to volunteer, but I must know the rules by heart
Ragini Letitia Singh: Snow Leopard
Sandeep Ghosh.: and the interpretations as well
Sandeep Ghosh.: So help me!
srinivas: AND ABOUT AMPHIBIANS
Ragini Letitia Singh: Bar-headed Goose
srinivas: THEY ARE REALLY DECLINING
srinivas: THEY ARE THE BEST ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
Ragini Letitia Singh: Do check out this link - http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/critical_regions/high_altitude_wetlands/
Ragini Letitia Singh: It gives more basic information
Sandeep Ghosh.: If U visit the Santragachi Lake outside Calcutta, where I visit regularly then....
srinivas: Are there any field treks involved
srinivas: as part of the activity
Ragini Letitia Singh: In really high altitude areas, we don't find too many amphibians or reptiles
Sandeep Ghosh.: u will find many bird species missing which are due to declining nos due to fragmentation of land
Ragini Letitia Singh: So they are not our focus species
Ragini Letitia Singh: We have a lot of migratory birds
Susan Sharma: http://www.indianwildlifeclub.com/blog/blog-details.aspx?bid=647
Ragini Letitia Singh: Birds are our best indicators of ecological decline
Susan Sharma: Ruddy shelducks
srinivas: and primates - gibbons? are they present at high altitudes
Ragini Letitia Singh: Even in our focus area (the high altitude Himalayas), we rely on them to gauge rise in temperature
Ragini Letitia Singh: or climate change impacts
Ragini Letitia Singh: http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/critical_regions/high_altitude_wetlands/resource_material/
Ragini Letitia Singh: If you follow these links, you will be able to download our field guides of Ladakh
Ragini Letitia Singh: These include flora, birds and mammals
Ragini Letitia Singh: This would give you an idea of the kind of biodiversit found in the Western Himalayas
Sandeep Ghosh.: What about the scavengers specifically the vultures?
Sandeep Ghosh.: I believe they have drastically declined, though from time to time,I do come across....
Sandeep Ghosh.: a couple of king vultures everytime i visit Pobitora and
Ragini Letitia Singh: Did you see a vulture above 3,000 metres?
Ragini Letitia Singh: above sea level?
srinivas: so it is aimed from a community ecologist's point of concern
Sandeep Ghosh.: scores of king vultures in Kaziranga but
srinivas: but it is characterized by floodplains
srinivas: if not mistaken
Sandeep Ghosh.: No. I have seen them on tree tops at the Mihimukh Area in Kaziranga and at Bagori.
srinivas: at an altitude of?
srinivas: any idea?
Ragini Letitia Singh: Let's drift back to the high altitude region of the Himalayas which is what the focus of the programme and campaign is
Ragini Letitia Singh: And also this chat :)
Sandeep Ghosh.: approx. 100 feet
Ragini Letitia Singh: Do you know about the Green Hiker campaign?
srinivas: very minimal i guess
srinivas: was not aware of
Sandeep Ghosh.: yes I have heard but have a very vague idea
srinivas: till i checked out
srinivas: in the web
srinivas: very recently
Sandeep Ghosh.: Ragini, please tell me more
Ragini Letitia Singh: You should definitely watch our animation film at - http://www.wwfindia.org/greenhiker
Ragini Letitia Singh: This is one example of the communication material we are producing to reach out to more people
Ragini Letitia Singh: You can also sign up for the campaign on the same page
Ragini Letitia Singh: I'd like to talk about Manimahesh lake
Ragini Letitia Singh: in the Chamba district of HP
srinivas: yes you can tell a bit about that
Ragini Letitia Singh: Every year, there is a yatra that takes place...it will start tomorrow in full swing
Ragini Letitia Singh: We have a team there, who have installed signage asking pilgrims not to litter any place they like
Ragini Letitia Singh: They also take up animals like sheep and goats to sacrifice near the lake
Ragini Letitia Singh: It's horrible
srinivas: and may also about bioodegradables
srinivas: in traditional practices we are losing a lot
Ragini Letitia Singh: And because of their loudspeakers and loud presence, all fauna around them get disturbed
Ragini Letitia Singh: What's most worrisome is that it's located right next to the Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary
srinivas: human activities around
Ragini Letitia Singh: In fact, there is one route that goes through the sanctuary
srinivas: but making it a no sound zone might be difficult
Ragini Letitia Singh: Brown bear, black bear - all these are found there
Sandeep Ghosh.: What exactly is the aim of green hiker? create awareness about the sanctity of the fragmented wilderness??
Ragini Letitia Singh: See, in our country, when religion is concerned, people turn a blind eye to everything
srinivas: rite
Ragini Letitia Singh: If one practise becomes popular or has been performed since ages, no matter how damaging it is to nature
Ragini Letitia Singh: They won't change
srinivas: which route do the pilgrims prefer to take
Ragini Letitia Singh: Most of these wetlands which we are trying to save have religious importance, so we have to deal with a very tricky issue
Ragini Letitia Singh: Well, most pilgrims take the usual route
Ragini Letitia Singh: A 14-km tough trek
Sandeep Ghosh.: Our job as volunteers is to make these kinds of people aware without causing animosity, right??
Ragini Letitia Singh: But there are some who opt for the other
Ragini Letitia Singh: Yes
srinivas: and proabaly confrontations
srinivas: probably
Ragini Letitia Singh: We are trying to get the local people on our side
Sandeep Ghosh.: i believe so
srinivas: were any casualities reported
Ragini Letitia Singh: The langar organisers
srinivas: of bear attacks
Ragini Letitia Singh: The tea stall owners on the way
Ragini Letitia Singh: Asking them to ensure that nobody discards rubbish anywhere
Ragini Letitia Singh: No, the poor bears come nowhere near the pandemonium
Ragini Letitia Singh: Why would they?
Ragini Letitia Singh: Which is why we worry for them
srinivas: any accidental confrontations
srinivas: and people start panicking
Ragini Letitia Singh: We're taking away their habitat
Sandeep Ghosh.: and pilgrims regularly relieve themselves as well on the way.
Ragini Letitia Singh: Not that I have heard of
srinivas: such have been most of man animal conflicts
Ragini Letitia Singh: I very nearly trekked through the Kugti route this time when I went, but I was advised not to because it was raining heavily
Ragini Letitia Singh: And yes, I was warned about the bears
srinivas: the animal is blamed most of the times
Ragini Letitia Singh: I wanted to go and access what the garbage situation was like
Sandeep Ghosh.: assess u mean
srinivas: was that done or planning for that
Ragini Letitia Singh: Till 2010, there were no toilets. It was horrible then. They would help themselves to all the green areas and make a mess of the place
Ragini Letitia Singh: WWF drew attention to this lake and this massive problem in 2008
srinivas: how is 2011?
srinivas: any improvements
Ragini Letitia Singh: Then in 2010, Sulabh shauchalya came into the picture
Ragini Letitia Singh: And set up 100 mobile toilets all along the trek
Sandeep Ghosh.: that is what i meant by pilgrims relieving themselves in the absence of toilets
Ragini Letitia Singh: This has helped a lot
srinivas: are there any movement of people at night
Ragini Letitia Singh: Yes
Ragini Letitia Singh: Some pilgrims move at night too
srinivas: then probably leopards
Sandeep Ghosh.: hey ragini that is very dangerous in bear country
Ragini Letitia Singh: Though most of them camp in the tents set up at the main stops
srinivas: clouded leopards
Ragini Letitia Singh: I know
Ragini Letitia Singh: But religious fervour is very tough to confront
Sandeep Ghosh.: and still they indulge in it
Ragini Letitia Singh: Saving our wildlife is hardly seen as a valid reason for them
srinivas: yes it is
srinivas: but the damages that it causes are beyond recognition
Ragini Letitia Singh: When we say, we are working to save a wetland, we take everything into account - the biodiversity that depends on it
Ragini Letitia Singh: The local communities who draw water and livelihood from it
Sandeep Ghosh.: hey folks need any volunteers, man, i can drop everything and go with u, after all it is the humans lives at stake
Ragini Letitia Singh: Everybody
Ragini Letitia Singh: Have you heard of the Mountain Cleaners??
srinivas: no
Ragini Letitia Singh: We are supporting them this year
Sandeep Ghosh.: how
Ragini Letitia Singh: http://www.mountaincleaners.org/
Ragini Letitia Singh: Small group of volunteers
Ragini Letitia Singh: The founder is a british lady who lives in Dharamshala
srinivas: are they aware of local fauna nd flora
Ragini Letitia Singh: Actually Bhagsu in HP
Sandeep Ghosh.: the name suggests that they clean up the litter and garbage piled on the mountains
Ragini Letitia Singh: They do regular clean up drives and recycle the trash
Sandeep Ghosh.: sounds great
Ragini Letitia Singh: They took up Manimahesh as a concern area once WWF drew attention to it
Ragini Letitia Singh: So since then they come with their garbage bags and clean up the place
Ragini Letitia Singh: Very hard working lot
Ragini Letitia Singh: Imagine climbing up and down a dangerous mountain with bags full of garbage
Sandeep Ghosh.: who takes care of the finances, bcoz funds are needed to conduct such a drive
Ragini Letitia Singh: Through Green Hiker, I'm trying to channelise willing volunteers who can help them this year
Ragini Letitia Singh: They badly need them
Ragini Letitia Singh: The yatra will be starting any day now
Ragini Letitia Singh: They have the support of the local administration
Ragini Letitia Singh: And somehow find sponsors and donors
Sandeep Ghosh.: where are you posted right now, ragini
Ragini Letitia Singh: For example, WWF has contributed funds to them
Ragini Letitia Singh: I am in Delhi
Ragini Letitia Singh: The Delhi office where it all gets coordinated from
Ragini Letitia Singh: If you want to volunteer with the Mountain Cleaners, please go ahead
Ragini Letitia Singh: The founder is a lady called Jodie Underhill
Ragini Letitia Singh: You can write to her at jodie@mountaincleaners.org
Ragini Letitia Singh: So while WWF-India is working on the awareness raising front, we are also moving on to more action-oriented things
srinivas: or with misconceptions
Ragini Letitia Singh: I hope everyone here knows a little bit more about WWF's work and the Green Hiker campaign
Ragini Letitia Singh: misconceptions?
Susan Sharma: Ragini, thanks for all the info, so beautiully put forth.
Ragini Letitia Singh: You're welcome Susan
Ragini Letitia Singh: I am glad I could elucidate our work
Ragini Letitia Singh: I thank you for this opportunity
Sandeep Ghosh.: there are whole lot of things i need to know yet
Sandeep Ghosh.: but i think time is of constraint and i guess i will have to wait for another day Susan
Susan Sharma: If there are no more questions, we will close the chat room
Ragini Letitia Singh: If you have more queries, you can always write to me at ragini@wwfindia.net
Ragini Letitia Singh: And join the Green Hiker Campaign too
Sandeep Ghosh.: thank you Susan for inviting me to this informative chat session. Good nite/
Susan Sharma: As soon as we close, the transcript will be up. Please share the link with anyone you wish to
Ragini Letitia Singh: Ok
Ragini Letitia Singh: Great
Ragini Letitia Singh: Thank you everybody
Susan Sharma: Good night and thank you all
srinivas: thanks for sharing