Wake Up Call? Rajya Sabha MP Writes To PM Modi Over Development Activities In Uttarakhand, Himachal

As the rescue workers and various agencies struggle to pull out the 41 trapped workers from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand, the tunnel collapse has also raised several questions about the safety measures and natural balance in the region amid the increasing construction activities. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CPI Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam urged him to ensure that the developmental activities are undertaken keeping in mind the Himalayan ecosystem without harming nature.

Viswam also raised the issue of the development work in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. "The Himalayas are young and still-evolving mountains with potential of great volatility. The climate of the entire sub-continent is dependent upon the Himalayas and tempering with the natural balance can have disastrous consequences, as was seen recently in the sinking town of Joshimath," he said, urging the PM to ensure development activities are undertaken only after careful study of the region and without harming nature.

He said that the development from the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand are cause of concern. "The development has brought to the fore certain issues worthy of consideration to prevent such a mishap and to deal with the situation justly. The workers who are trapped inside for 14 days have all come from poor backgrounds with little social security...I urge you to take immediate steps and impress upon all stakeholders and employers to mandatorily ensure generous insurance amounts to workers in hazardous and dangerous surroundings," he urged.

The Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have witnessed huge devastation in the last few years and activists have alleged that rampant construction activities without proper study of the terrain have disrupted the natural balance in the region.