Healing the Himalayas

Rana Siddiqui Zaman | NT

Bengaluru: In love with mountains, a lone fighter Gaurav Schimar takes up upon himself to clean the hills by waste management clubbing it with a green sport.

Results are showing Gaurav Schimar, 45, is barely seen at his Delhi home. He doesn’t find it worth living in “the concrete jungle of any city.”

He is a mountain man by passion. He has been going to the Himalayas for over three decades at bare minimum finances but plenty of hope.

His Himalayan calling especially at Leh, Ladakh, Kullu, Lahul and Spiiti, turned him into a mad cap of sorts. With immense work in the region that he has been doing over the years, he became the first-ever person in the Himalayas to launch India’s, even Asia’s first and highest snow Marathon at Sissu in 2022 followed by the second one in March 2023.

The last event had 300 runners, including 24 from the Indian Navy, five from the Indian Army, besides 10 foreigners from the US, UK, Singapore, Nepal and more.

Full marathon was of 42 kilometers, half of 21, 10 and five km, respectively. The event was so designed to draw people and governments’ attention to much needed ecological balance in these areas.

An exclusive conversation with Schimar hints at worrying factors that need immediate attention at God's abode. “Though a beginning was made through attracting people in the country and internationally. The need for snow marathon was to do with Himalayan ecology through a green initiative and a green sport, and also give the country an ice-running circuit, “ he says, adding, the idea was conceived five years ago but it kept on getting delayed due to covid and lack of funds.”

But that didn’t deter Schimar, an ex-corporate banker, from starting waste management in the Himalayas, which is in its fifth year now.

“I have been coming to the Himalayas since three decades. Initially I used to encourage people to trek and also build a cottage on partnership to host them. However, I realized that with time, these beautiful areas are getting dirtier and its drainage becoming clogged because neither locals nor tourists bother about turning it into garbage bin leaving their waste material behind.”

It’s a one man effort where a team is built and broken, and rebuilt with new enthusiasts. Hiccups are many. Locals are disinterested as they either burn waste or throw in the nalas that clog.

This is not only detrimental to the ecology but also dangerous for animals which often fall in them and suffocate. So, Schimar started a waste management project spending money from his own pocket and with help from friends.

He says, “My pilot project is operational in about 50 villages around these areas. My team collects garbage from door to door, does segregation, disposal and recycling. We met the (Kullu) district administration because after the Atal Tunnel opened up in the Himalayas in 2020, pollution has gone up many fold and there are zero waste management processes.”

The waste management project is about setting up of material recovery facility in Sissu. It has to be done under all Gram Panchayats.

“There is enough fund with the government under the Rural Development scheme which had already allotted some to Lahul and Spiti but the officials are just cutting bills there.

With much push and requests, in our first project thankfully, SADA – Special Area Development Authority had initiated a barrier over Sissu. It levied a fine of Rs 300 for any heavy vehicle entering the areas. This money was to be used in the waste management project.

Lot to solve yet

There are two kinds of wastes here; one is the legacy waste which is being piling up since civilization came in the Himalayas, amounting to 500,000 tonnes.

Another is the local daily waste. For instance, a small pocket in Manali generates 20 tonnes every day. This needs immediate attention.

“The government claims that every panchayat has its own waste management system and material recovery in place while our research says that there is none. It also claims that every week, it sends a vehicle to collect garbage but I haven’t come across any. We did speak to the District Commissioner (Kullu) Ashutosh Garg about it.”

A favourable response is awaited. Schimar also claims that vehicle brands like Mahindra, Mercedes, Royal Enfield want to begin their waste management projects here but the district administration is giving them no audience.