If you drive along the Bhalukpong-Bomdila-Dirang-
With the rush to hill stations to enjoy the scenery and crisp air, comes the nightmare of the growing waste crisis especially the growing plastic pollution. As more tourists make their way to mountain states, they leave behind ecological footprint. With increase in footfall, wastes especially plastic wastes are dumped along the tourist circuit. . Packaging of potato chips, plastic water/juice bottles etc can be found in the remotest of locations, a telling sign that things will only get worse if steps are not taken. Tawang, Bomdila, Dirang and many other tourist hubs of Arunachal clearly don’t have an efficient waste management system in place to tackle this growing problem. There is an urgent need for policymakers to deliberate on potential solutions and policy mechanisms that can effectively tackle the plastic waste in the mountains, otherwise, things will get out of hand not too far from now.
Mountains are home to 15% of the world's population and host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots. They provide fresh water for everyday life to half of humanity. Their conservation is a key factor for sustainable development. They are increasingly under threat due to the climate crisis and plastic waste crisis is emerging to be another huge threat. It is time to spread awareness about protecting mountain biodiversity as these delicate ecosystems are under tremendous pressure from climate change, overexploitation, and pollution.
Sustainable tourism in mountains can contribute to creating additional and alternative livelihood options and promoting poverty alleviation, social inclusion, as well as landscape and biodiversity conservation.