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Save Kumaon
कुदरती कुमाऊं खुशहाल कुमाऊँ
My name is Simran Dhyani, and I am a research scholar at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems (CSSS), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. I am currently working on an academic assignment/paper examining the processes and implications of land conversion to commodity forms, with a specific focus on the Char Dham Highway Project (Char Dham Pariyojana) in Uttarakhand.
My research explores how infrastructure development under this project has influenced land use changes, including forest diversion, agricultural land transformation, ecological impacts, and the broader commodification of land and resources in the Himalayan region. The project has raised significant concerns regarding deforestation, increased landslides, bypassing of environmental impact assessments, and threats to fragile ecosystems issues that align closely with the work of many civil society organizations in the field.
As part of my study, I am seeking reliable data, reports, case studies, field documentation, or any other relevant resources (such as publications, datasets on land diversion, or analyses of environmental/social impacts) that your organization may have compiled or can recommend. I am particularly interested in materials related to:
1. Land acquisition/conversion patterns linked to the highway widening
2. Forest land diversion and tree felling data
3. Community/local impacts and resistance efforts
4. Any publicly available reports or submissions made to courts/NGT/commissions (e.g., references to the High Power Committee findings)
5. Stakeholders impacted and might be willing to share experiences
I assure you that all materials will be used strictly for academic/non-commercial purposes, with proper citation and acknowledgment of sources. I would be grateful for any guidance, shared documents, or suggestions on key contacts/experts in this area. If a brief virtual/in-person discussion would be possible to understand your perspective better, I would be honored to arrange it at your convenience.
Thank you for your time and for the important work your organization does in advocating for environmental justice and sustainable development in the Himalayas. I look forward to your response and any support you may be able to provide.
Warm regards,
Simran
Research Scholar
Centre for the Study of Social Systems (CSSS)
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
New Delhi, India
The geographical segment of the Himalaya and a part of the Uttarakhand State of India as well as a historic glory of India known as Kumaon is just unparalleled. Whatever could be the best in the world — in terms of beauty, inhabitants, culture, human ethos, natural resources and every aspect of the biosphere — it is there in Kumaon. I am lucky I am intricately associated with Kumaon and love this land of the sacred Himalaya more than I love rest of everything in the world. Every thought, every act, every policy, every philosophy and every law that helps save Kumaon contributes to save the abstract of this world.