Preserving Himalayas a national responsibility. Minister stresses ecological safeguards in development planning, highlights climate research and J&K’s Purple Revolution
Srinagar, October 13: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, on Tuesday called for collective responsibility in protecting the Himalayan ecosystem, stressing that development activities in the region must be balanced with ecological safeguards.
Addressing a special session of the 13th All India Sustainable Mountain Development Summit at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), he said the Himalayas were vital to India’s ecological security and sustained springs, water bodies, river sources and glaciers, besides supporting tourism, agriculture and livelihoods.
The summit, being held from October 12 to 14 at the Shalimar Convention Centre, is jointly organised by SKUAST-K and the Integrated Mountain Initiative under the theme “Contouring Sustainable Himalayan Landscapes for Inclusive Viksit Bharat”.
The deliberations include the draft Jammu and Kashmir Sustainable Mountain Development Policy 2026.
Singh said protecting the Himalayan region was not solely the responsibility of the government and scientific institutions but required public awareness and responsible conduct by citizens and other stakeholders.
He cautioned that unauthorised construction and unregulated activities could increase risks in fragile mountain areas, emphasising that ecological protection must remain an integral part of development planning.
Climate research and glacier monitoring
Highlighting scientific initiatives to understand the changing Himalayan environment, Singh referred to the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem under the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
He said the Department of Science and Technology had identified research centres at the University of Kashmir, Sikkim University and Tezpur University to strengthen research on climate change and the Himalayan ecosystem.
He also cited glacier monitoring and field research undertaken by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in Ladakh and the Doda region since 2015. The work includes observations using automatic weather stations and seismometers, alongside studies relating to landslides and past earthquakes.
The minister also referred to capacity-building initiatives in glaciology in Kashmir and a pilot study undertaken by the Wadia Institute in 10 villages in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the findings could help inform locally appropriate interventions and the possible replication of suitable measures elsewhere.
Singh called for the draft Jammu and Kashmir Sustainable Mountain Development Policy to be examined in the context of these scientific findings and initiatives.
He further said India’s weather radar network had expanded from 16 radars in 2014 to 50, with another 50 planned under Mission Mausam. The expansion, he said, would strengthen weather monitoring and preparedness, particularly in regions vulnerable to extreme weather and natural hazards.
Purple Revolution and rural livelihoods
Referring to the Aroma Mission and the Purple Revolution, Singh said lavender cultivation in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, including Gulmarg and Padder, had created livelihood opportunities for farmers and rural entrepreneurs.
He said the initiatives demonstrated how scientific interventions, when combined with market access, could help generate employment and support local economic activity.
However, he stressed that the sustainability of such initiatives depended on more than cultivation. Stronger links between growers and the aroma and fragrance industries, access to technology and finance, and support for entrepreneurship were necessary to expand the benefits.
Women’s self-help groups and young entrepreneurs, he added, could play an important role in developing these value chains.
Singh also referred to the Purple Revolution’s visibility through Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat programme and a Republic Day tableau, saying the initiative had brought national attention to Jammu and Kashmir’s lavender-based economic opportunities.
Secretary, Science and Technology, Babila Rakwal, SKUAST-K Vice-Chancellor Nazir A. Ganai, and representatives of academia and the mountain development community attended the session.
Singh reiterated that scientific research and government programmes needed to be complemented by responsible decisions on the ground, adding that the long-term protection of the Himalayas was essential for both mountain communities and the country’s ecological well-being.
