Mountain blues

For four years, two academics and a photojournalist researched urbanisation in the Himalayas to bring out the deadly scams of human activities in the world's youngest mountain range

Human activities have wreaked havoc on the Himalayas

IN MAY 2017, when the Himalayan nation of Nepal held its first local council elections in 20 years, access to water became a highly political topic at Dhulikhel town. Located on a mountain ridge 35 km from Kathmandu, Dhulikhel’s strategic position allows one to behold a long range of the scenic Himalayas. As the town rose to prominence, a number of hotels, lodges, restaurants, new houses and public and private institutions have replaced the tiny traditional settlements, putting unprecedented pressure on the water supply. As expected, water politics influenced the outcome of the elections—the town’s new mayor came to power on the promise that he would make locally sourced water available to all at affordable prices. A 14 km pipeline now brings water to the community, but the laying of new pipes has been disruptive for the settlements and farms through which it pass, triggering protests.

This and several such compelling stories were brought to life at a recent photography exhibition in Delhi by Bhaskar Vira and Eszter Kovacs, academics at the University of Cambridge, UK, and British photojournalist Toby Smith. Titled “Pani, Pahar: Waters of the Himalayas”, the exhibition was the result of four years of academic research led by Vira and