Ecology and Environment in the Himalayas

Today environment and ecology are the buzzwords. The pace of development and modernization has endangered the ecological balance of Himalaya. When the British brought railways in the India in the late 18th century, the Himalayan jungles were denuded of the vast forests covers due to the demand for sleepers. When in early 19th century, the Britishers attempted to curb wanton treefelling, there arose resentment among the people of Garhwal and Kumaon in Uttarakhand. But in later times, those very women folk took to Chipko movement to curb treefelling. The book gives a multitude of illeffects of treefelling ranging from soilerosion to causing floods in the plains, and depositing silt. The shrinking of various Himalayan glaciers has also created alarm among the global ecologists and environmentalists. Denudation of forests also has been causing landslides and endangering the wildlife. Now the efforts are being made to advert the manmade disaster. This book comes to grips with the magnitude of problem in the entire Himalayan region.