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Ashok Bhattacharya Seeks Sixth Schedule Protection for Himalayan Belt
Ashok Bhattacharya wants special constitutional protection for the entire Himalayan region in India.
He says this would help protect the land rights of indigenous hill communities.
He also says it could limit construction that harms the environment.
The Himalayas are fragile and can be affected by floods and other disasters.
He pointed to floods in Nepal and a glacial lake flood in Sikkim in 2023.
Sikkim has about 320 glacial lakes, including 14 considered high-risk.
The state studied some of these lakes to improve disaster planning.
The Centre has approved money for warning systems and other measures in several Himalayan states.
CPM leader Ashok Bhattacharya urged Sixth Schedule protection for India’s entire Himalayan belt, from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh.
He said stronger constitutional safeguards were needed to protect indigenous land rights and the fragile mountain environment.
Bhattacharya linked unrestricted development and resource use to greater vulnerability to disasters, citing floods in Nepal and the 2023 Sikkim GLOF.
Sikkim has identified 14 high-risk glacial lakes among roughly 320 and conducted a scientific expedition this year.
The Centre approved ₹150 crore for a National GLOF Risk Mitigation Project covering four Himalayan states, including ₹40 crore for Sikkim.
- Who
- Ashok Bhattacharya, a veteran CPM leader and former minister, made the demand.
- What
- He called for the entire Indian Himalayan belt, from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh, to be brought under the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule.
- Where
- The proposed protection would cover India’s Himalayan belt, while the reported disaster examples involved Nepal and Sikkim.
- When
- The demand was reported after floods in Nepal and the October 2023 glacial lake outburst flood in Sikkim; Sikkim’s latest expedition ran from July 23 to August 8 this year.
- Why
- Bhattacharya said stronger protections were needed to safeguard indigenous land rights, limit environmentally harmful development and reduce disaster risks.
Key facts
- Proposed coverage
- The Himalayan belt of India from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh
- Constitutional provision
- Sixth Schedule
- Sikkim glacial lakes
- Around 320, including 14 identified as high-risk
- Sikkim expedition
- Conducted from July 23 to August 8 to assess selected high-risk glacial lakes
- National project allocation
- ₹150 crore approved for the National GLOF Risk Mitigation Project
- States covered by project
- Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
- Sikkim allocation
- ₹40 crore, including a ₹36-crore central share
Quotes
Ashok Bhattacharya
Veteran CPM leader and former minister
“The Himalayan region is extremely fragile by nature. Over the years, these areas have been used for defence and various development projects. In the process, the land rights of indigenous people have often been compromised. Constitutional protections need to be strengthened to ensure that development does not come at the cost of the environment and local communities.”
telegraphindia.com
“As long as these lands were protected by tribal and indigenous communities, such large-scale interventions were limited. Once land transfers and unrestricted development began, excessive intervention in natural resources and mountain landscapes started having an adverse impact on the environment.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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