Environmentalist Calls for Strict Controls on Mountain Infrastructure

In an exclusive interview, Bhabri Kandhari stressed that the Himalayan crisis is a symptom of a broader policy failure. She argued that the current development model treats the mountains as a limitless real‑estate market, ignoring the delicate balance that sustains millions of lives downstream.

Kandhari proposed a set of concrete measures: limit road expansion to a single lane where possible, replace conventional blasting with controlled micro‑explosions, and prioritize tunnel routes that avoid steep gradients. She also recommended that all new hydropower projects undergo independent climate‑risk reviews and that any violation of environmental norms be met with immediate suspension of licences.

According to Kandhari, strengthening the oversight capacity of state pollution control boards and establishing a dedicated Himalayan Development Authority could ensure that construction aligns with scientific recommendations. She warned that without such safeguards, the region could see a cascade of landslides, riverbank collapses and loss of biodiversity, with repercussions felt far beyond the mountain foothills.