Silent crusaider

At a time when rapidly receding glaciers in the Himalayas are the matter of concern for one and all, efforts of ace mountaineer Harshvanti Bisht to conserve the same come as a proverbial silver lining in the dark clouds. This 50 plus Arjuna award winner has undertaken successful plantation of Bhojpatra in the Himalayas for eco-restoration of the Gangotri-Gaumukh region.“The Gangotri region of Uttarakhand Himalayas contains one of the largest glacier systems in the world that feeds the Ganges river which is the lifeline for millions. Due to global warming, glaciers are receding at an alarming rate prompting international attention and concern. One of reasons for their rapid recession has been the brazen cutting of birch trees (the ubiquitous Bhoj in local language) usually by the locals for firewood. The loss of these trees had resulted in massive soil erosion that adversely effected the already sick glacier. So I thought of re-planting Birch trees in this region to help conserve the divine Gangotri,” says she. Her transformation from a mountaineer to a conservationist began in the year 1989 when she conducted a study to assess the impacts of tourism and pilgrimage on the ecology of the region. “The accumulation of huge amounts of garbage, mushrooming from dhabas meant for pilgrims and large-scale deforestation were threatening this fragile ecosystem. I was appalled by the extent of degradation and couldn’t stop myself from launching in this project,” says she, who is also a reader of Economics at a college in Uttarkashi.For two decades, Bisht worked hard to set up a tree sanctuary alongside the Gangotri glacier right up to the height of 12,500 feet. The task was not easy and Bisht had to face several hurdles on the way both natural and man made. With the help of Rattan Singh, a fellow mountaineer, she organised several environmental awareness campaigns and garbage collection expeditions in the area and at the same time took up afforestation drive. However, while the thought of planting trees at a height of 12,500 feet seemed preposterous to most people, Bisht continued with her efforts with the determination of a true mountaineer.After battling for couple of years, she got a permission from the forest department, to establish a nursery at Chirbasa, at a height of 11,700 feet. “Later, after some more persuasion, I was allowed to go ahead with afforestation on a total of 12 hec at Bhojbasa, inside the Gangotri National Park. Funding was a problem initially but some local NGOs came forward to support my initiative,” says she.In 1996, 2.5 hec land was taken up and 2,500 saplings were planted at Bhojbasa while in the second phase (1997-2000) over 10,000 saplings were planted on an area of 5.5 hec. Most notably, at each plantation site, post plantation activities like manuring and gap plantations were also taken up. “We take care of each site for 10 years so that the plants are properly set up,” says she. To ensure that saplings were safe, barbed wire fencing was also erected. According to Bisht, rugged topography and extremely cold climatic conditions made the work more difficult and the progress slow. She says that cold, dry alpine desert like conditions severely hamper the survival and growth of the plants. “The growth rate of the plants has been only 6 to 8 inches per annum with a survival rate of 60-65 percent,” she laments.Apart from grappling with forces of nature, she also had to continuously battle with the oppressive tactics of forest officials. “In 2004, Rattan Singh and I were falsely implicated in a criminal case and in 2006 eviction notices were issued to us,” says she. “I’ve found this task much more challenging than climbing any mountain peak,” says Bisht, who was also a member of the 1984 Everest expedition. But in spite of all odds, her hard work reaped rich dividends. “Saplings planted in 1996 have grown to a height of around four to five feet,” she says excitedly.Meanwhile, she has not only been cleared of all charges imposed on her by the forest department but has also granted permission to continue work till 2011. “This is the first successful plantation of Bhojpatra in the Indian Himalayas,” beams she. Hopefully, the mountaineer will continue on her green mission since she still has a huge mountain to climb.