Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said preserving the Himalayas was a national responsibility, calling for development planning that balances livelihood opportunities with safeguards for the fragile mountain ecosystem.
Addressing a special session of the 13th All India Sustainable Mountain Development Summit in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said responsibility for protecting the region extended beyond the government and scientific community to every citizen.
The summit, being held from October 12 to 14 at the Shalimar Convention Centre of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), is jointly organised by the university and the Integrated Mountain Initiative.
Held under the theme “Contouring Sustainable Himalayan Landscapes for Inclusive Viksit Bharat”, its discussions include the draft Jammu and Kashmir Sustainable Mountain Development Policy 2026.
Singh, who holds independent charge of the Science and Technology and Earth Sciences ministries, said the Himalayas supported springs, water bodies, river sources and glaciers while sustaining tourism, agriculture and livelihoods. Their protection was therefore essential to ecological security and inclusive economic development.
He warned that unauthorised construction, unregulated activities and other human-induced lapses could aggravate risks in sensitive mountain areas. Ecological safeguards must remain integral to development planning, supported by public awareness and responsible conduct, he said.
Highlighting scientific initiatives, Singh referred to the Department of Science and Technology’s work under the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
The department has identified centres at the University of Kashmir, Sikkim University and Tezpur University to strengthen research on climate change and the Himalayan ecosystem. State-level initiatives across the Indian Himalayan Region also support research and institutional capacity building.
Singh cited glacier monitoring and field research undertaken by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in Ladakh and the Doda region since 2015. The work uses automatic weather stations and seismometers and includes studies of landslides and past earthquakes.
He also highlighted glaciology training in Kashmir to strengthen scientific understanding of environmental changes.
India’s weather radar network had expanded from 16 radars in 2014 to 50, with another 50 planned under Mission Mausam, Singh said. The expansion would strengthen monitoring and preparedness in areas vulnerable to extreme weather and natural hazards.
The minister referred to a Wadia Institute pilot study in 10 villages in Jammu and Kashmir, saying its findings could guide locally appropriate interventions and their replication. He called for the draft sustainable mountain development policy to be examined in this context.
On livelihoods, Singh cited the Aroma Mission and Purple Revolution as examples of science-led economic opportunities. Lavender cultivation in areas such as Gulmarg and Padder had created opportunities for farmers and rural entrepreneurs, he said.
The initiatives had also brought Jammu and Kashmir national recognition through references in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat and a Republic Day tableau.
Singh stressed that cultivation needed to be supported by market linkages with aroma and fragrance industries, access to technology and finance, and entrepreneurship support.
Women’s self-help groups and young entrepreneurs could help expand these opportunities, while Jammu and Kashmir’s experience offered lessons for regions seeking to build local economies around their agricultural and natural strengths.
Singh reiterated that scientific interventions and government programmes must be complemented by responsible decisions on the ground to protect both Himalayan communities and the country’s long-term ecological well-being.
Science and Technology Secretary Babila Rakwal, SKUAST-K Vice-Chancellor Nazir A. Ganai, academics and representatives of the mountain development community also attended the session.
