It’s always a delight to visit places in North India like Manali, Mussourie, Nainital, Ladakh and Kashmir. In the east, places such as Sikkim, Darjeeling, and Arunachal Pradesh are tourists’ favorites. While people from across the world throng to these regions in the quest for some peace and quiet, ecotourism has taught us that we must leave a minimal impact on places we travel to, especially if those places are pristine and protected.
In the past few decades, due to increased tourist footfall, mountainous regions of India are undergoing ominous changes in their ecodiversity and ecological balance. Listed below are some common mistakes that tourists make in India’s hilly states – mistakes that harm people and the environment.
1) Littering:
Most hilly areas in India do not have a proper waste management system. Hence, the more people litter, the more drastically the ecology gets affected. Littering eventually emits foul gases that add to vehicular emissions and create a greenhouse effect. Further, since the mountains thrive on the natural course of water such as molten glaciers rather than artificial retention systems, any litter obstructs the natural cycle and harms the entire ecology. Moral of the story: do not litter!
2) Not reusing water bottles:
Depending on its thickness, a plastic bottle can take around 450-1000 years to decompose completely. Considering that the cold mountain weather hampers decomposition, it logically follows that plastic will never be completely wiped off the surface of these mountainous regions. Plastic bottles buried in order to decompose affect the terrain of these regions, often resulting in landslides. Mountain water is safe enough to be used directly because it is glacier water and is therefore constantly flowing, curbing bacterial growth. So keep one or two bottles (plastic or steel) with you and refill as you go.
3) Offering treats to the children:
It may seem like a sweet gesture to offer treats or a few pennies to the local children but it actually encourages them to beg. They are naïve and get carried away by the attention they get from tourists. Begging children is an unpleasant sight for tourists so it’s upto you to stop the vicious cycle and be firm about not buying them candy or giving them money.
4) Not respecting their culture:
We often forget that that as travelers, we are the ones who should adapt to the ways of the country we are visiting. By insisting on familiar food or commodities we are actually asking them to unlearn their cuisines and traditions. They start learning the ways of the tourists in order to generate more revenue which no doubt gives a boost to their economy but also makes them forget their own culture. Make it a point to appreciate the way they live sustain their culture and environment.
5) Not respecting their privacy:
It is tempting to take a photograph of a Ladakhi or Kashmiri kid or a local going about his daily life – we feel that it helps us capture the essence of the place. But we don’t realize that they feel awkward and exposed every time you do that. Personal space is not a Western concept only – it is universal and we must learn not to intrude or hurt their feelings.
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in March, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
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