ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN NORTHEAST & LEH

LADAKH, INDIA

NAME MIS
• ANSAR ALI • 111701001
• BOVIKA K YEPTHOMI • 111701066
• NYADAR JINI • 111701070
• INGKA T • 111701068
• MUSAIB SYEED • 111701002
INDEX
 INTRODUCTION
 FLOOD
 LANDSLIDES
 EARTHQUAKES
 AIR POLLUTION
 WATER POLLUTION
 DEFORESTATION & LOSS OF
WILDLIFE
 LEH
 CONCLUSION
 INTRODUCTION
• NORTH-EAST INDIA IS AFFLICTED BY THREE MAIN NATURAL HAZARDS: FLOODS, EARTHQUAKES AND
LANDSLIDES OF THESE, THE EARTHQUAKES ARE MOST UNPREDICTABLE.
• THE LOW-INTENSITY TREMORS OCCUR QUITE FREQUENTLY IN THE CONTACT ZONE OF PLATE
BOUNDARIES OR ALONG THE LINES OF STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS, LIKE THE MAIN BOUNDARY FAULT
(MBF) OR THE MAIN CENTRAL THRUST IN THE HIMALAYAN REGION OR ALONG A CHAIN OF
THRUSTS EXTENDING FROM LOHIT DISTRICT (WITH MISHMI FAULT) IN THE NORTH TO MANIPUR AND
FURTHER SOUTH.
• FLOODS ARE A RECURRING ANNUAL FEATURE OF ASSAM WHEN BRAHMAPUTRA AND ITS
TRIBUTARIES, WITH VERY LARGE CATCHMENTS, ARE FLOODED EXCEEDING THE LIMIT OF BANKFUL
DISCHARGE AND SUBMERGE A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF BRAHMAPUTRA PLAIN.
• VERY SEVERE FLOODS, THREE TO FOUR MILLION HECTARES OF LAND ARE AFFECTED.
 FLOOD
• MAINLY OCCURS IN ASSAM
• SEVERAL FACTORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RECURRENCE OF FLOOD IN ASSAM. FIRST AND
FOREMOST, ASSAM LIES IN THE HEART OF MONSOON BELT AND SO GETS AN OVERABUNDANCE
OF RAIN.
• BRAHMAPUTRA ORIGINATES IN MANSOROVAR IN TIBET AND RUSHES THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE
STATE FROM EAST TO WEST.
• THE 2900 KM LONG RIVER AND ITS NUMEROUS TRIBUTARIES SUCH AS, SUBANSIRI, MANAS,
GADADHAR, DHANSIRI, ETC. GET FLOODED AND OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS FLOODING THE VAST
PLAIN OF THE STATE.
• ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS, FLOOD WATERS HAVE INUNDATED 20 OF 33 DISTRICTS IN THE STATE,
AFFECTING MORE THAN 34 LAKH PEOPLE. AROUND 3,000 VILLAGES REMAIN INUNDATED.
• THE MINISTER SAID DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE SOUGHT ABOUT RS. 1,000 CRORE TO MEET
THE DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE FLOODS.
• A TOTAL OF 826 RELIEF CAMPS ARE OPERATIONAL IN THE DISTRICTS OF BAKSA, NALBARI,
BARPETA, CHIRANG, BONGAIGAON, KOKRAJHAR, DHUBRI, GOALPARA, KAMRUP, MORIGAON,
NAGAON, GOLAGHAT AND JORHAT. AROUND TWO LAKH PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SHIFTED TO
THESE RELIEF CAMPS
• FLOODS HAVE ALSO KILLED OVER 200 ANIMALS, INCLUDING 16 ENDANGERED RHINOS IN
KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK.
 LANDSLIDES
• IN STATES LIKE ARUNACHAL PRADESH, SIKKIM AND MEGHALAYA, BESIDES PARTS OF ASSAM,
LANDSLIDES HAVE WREAKED HAVOC, SNAPPING ROAD COMMUNICATION IN A MAJOR WAY.
• LARGE PARTS OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH HAVE BEEN CUT OFF BECAUSE OF HEAVY MUDSLIDES
TEARING APART ROADS, INCLUDING HIGHWAYS.
• THE EXTENT OF DEFORESTATION THAT IS HAPPENING IN THE NORTHEASTERN STATES IS
LEADING TO FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES. IN THE END, THIS IS A CLEAR CASE OF CLIMATE
CHANGE IMPACTING THE ECOSYSTEM.
• EVERY YEAR, THE POOR IN THE STATE SUFFER FROM THE DEVASTATING IMPACT OF FLOODS
AND EROSION.
 EARTHQUAKE
• A STRONG 6.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE STRUCK NORTHEAST INDIA. THE EPICENTRE OF THE
EARTHQUAKE, WHICH OCCURRED AT 4.37 AM AT A DEPTH OF 17 KM BELOW THE GROUND,
WAS AT TAMENGLONG WHICH IS LOCATED 33 KILOMETERS FROM IMPHAL IN MANIPUR.
• MAJOR EARTHQUAKES ARE :-
• 2016 MANIPUR EARTHQUAKE
• JUNE 2015 DIBRUGARH EARTHQUAKE
• 2011 SIKKIM EARTHQUAKE
• 1950 ASSAM EARTHQUAKE
 AIR POLLUTION

• AIR POLLUTION IS TURNING INTO A MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEM IN NORTHEAST.

• THE NATIONAL HEALTH PROFILE (NHP), 2018, RELEASED BY THE CENTRAL BUREAU OF HEALTH
INTELLIGENCE (CBHI), REPORTED 225 DEATHS IN ASSAM, DUE TO ARI IN 2017 AND IT WAS THE
HIGHEST. IT WAS FOLLOWED BY MIZORAM WHEREIN 36 DEATHS WERE RECORDED, MANIPUR,
TRIPURA, NAGALAND, SIKKIM, MEGHALAYA AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH 23, 21, 9, 8, 7 AND 3,
RESPECTIVELY.
• MAJOR CAUSE IS COAL MINING.
 WATER POLLUTION
• THE CRYSTAL CLEAR WATERS OF THE SIANG RIVER WAS SUDDENLY TURNED DARK, OILY AND
SLURRY.
• DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF HEAVY SLAG IN THE WATER THE LIFELINE OF ARUNACHAL WAS NO
LONGER FIT FOR CONSUMPTION.
• THE WATER WAS NO LONGER USEABLE FOR ANY PURPOSE BECAUSE IT CONTAINED CEMENT
LIKE THICK MATERIAL.
• THE MAJOR CEMEMT WORK IN THE UPPER REACHES OF THE RIVER IN CHINA WHICH CARRIED
DEEP WATER BORING WORK EFFECTED THE HEALTH OF SIANG.
• DUE TO THIS THE AQUATIC LIFE AND THE LIFE IN LAND BECAME MISSERABLE AND WAS
SPREADING DISEASES AND DEATH AMONG CATTLES.
• BED OF THE SIANG RIVER HAS BEEN RAISED BY SEVERAL FEET, LEADING TO THE RIVER
SPREADING SIDEWAYS AND CAUSING MASSIVE SOIL EROSION.
• INCREASE IN THE RIVERBED IS THE PROLONGED DEPOSITS OF A MIX OF CEMENT AND OIL
CAUSED BY MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION AND MINING ACTIVITIES ALONG THE TIBETAN SIDE OF
THE RIVER.
 DEFORESTATION & LOSS OF WILDLIFE
• IN SPITE OF THE EXISTENCE OF SEVERAL FOREST LAWS AND REGULATION THE FOREST OF
NORTH-EAST IS DECAYING. THE JHUM CULTIVATION IS A TRADITIONAL METHOD OF
AGRICULTURE AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSS OF FOREST COVER IN THE AREA, AND
SEVERE SOIL EROSION AND LANDSLIDES.
• THE KILLING OF RHINOCEROS FOR THEIR HORN AND OF ELEPHANTS FOR THEIR IVORY BY THE
POACHERS WITH THE HELP OF GREEDY FOREST OFFICIALS IS A COMMON PHENOMENON
WHICH IS A GREAT THREAT TO HE EXISTENCE OF ENDANGERED RHINOCEROS IN ASSAM.
• COAL MINING OPERATIONS: EXCAVATION OF COAL BY OPEN CAST MINING THROUGH
MECHANIZED PROCESS IS IN PROGRESS AT TWO PLACES (AT TIKLOK AND THE OTHER ONE IS
AT LEDO- TIRAP) IN UPPER ASSAM AREAS.
• IN THE OPEN MINING FOR EXTRACTION OF COAL, THE PROCESS IS AT FIRST REMOVING THE
TOP SOIL, VALUABLE TREES VEGETATION ETC. AND THE TOP SOIL CUTTING FROM THE UPPER
LAYER OF THE HILLOCK ABOVE THE COAL SEAM ARE DUMPED IN NEARBY AREAS. BY DOING
SO, A BARREN ARTIFICIAL HILLOCK CONSISTING OF THE ROCKS AND DEBRIS IS CREATED IN THE
PLACE OF THE NATURAL GREEN HILLOCKS. IT IS OBSERVED THAT THE INDUSTRY CONTINUED
ITS OPERATION WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE QUESTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL
PRESERVATION.
• CRUDE OIL EXPLORATION: TWO MAJOR SECTOR INDUSTRIES ARE EXTRACTING CRUDE OIL IN
THE STATE. THEIR MAIN OPERATION ARE DRILLING AND PRODUCTION. MOST OF THE DRILLING
SITES ARE LOCATED IN THE PADDY FIELDS, LOW LYING AREAS, FOREST AREAS, AND IN SOME
CASE THESE ARE ON THE BACK OR NEAR THE WATER COURSES.

• THE PITS, WHERE DRILLING EFFLUENTS ARE KEPT, ARE NOT SCIENTIFICALLY CONSTRUCTED
IN MOST OF THE CASES. CAPACITY OF THESE PITS ARE LESS, THE HEIGHT OF BUNDHS IS LOW
AND MOST OF THEM ARE LOCATED IN FLOOD PLAIN AREAS. SEEPAGE IS A COMMON
PHENOMENON FROM THESE PITS DUE TO WHICH NEARBY AREAS ARE BADLY AFFECTED
DAMAGING AGRICULTURAL FIELDS, CROPS, VEGETATION, DRINKING WATER SOURCES.
 LEH LADAKH
• THE REGION OF LADAKH IS REAL FAMOUS FOR TOURISM.
• TOURISM IN LEH AND LADAKH IS A HUGE FACTOR IN IMPROVING THE ECONOMY AND LIVES OF
THE PEOPLE OF THIS REGION.
• A TOTAL OF 3,27,366 TOURISTS, INCLUDING 49,477 FOREIGNERS, VISITED LEH IN 2018,WHICH IS
NEAR TO THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE REGION.
• SUCH RAPID INFLUX PF PEOPLE OVER A SHORT INTERVAL OF TIME HAS LED TO MANY
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND PROBLEMS LIKE SCARCITY OF WATER,WASTE DISPOSAL
PROBLEMS,POLLUTION OF ALL KINDS.
• UNTIL RECENTLY LADAKH HAD NO WASTE PROBLEMS, EVERYTHING COULD BE CYCLED BACK TO
THE LAND. THE LARGE VOLUME OF WASTES PRODUCED IN THE MODERN SECTOR IS POLLUTING
LAND AND WATER AND HAS INCREASED THE INCIDENCE OF DISEASE SHARPLY.
 CONCLUSION
THE HIMALAYAN REGIONS ARE FACING MORE OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES MAINLY
BECAUSE OF NATURE AND NOT MANMADE. THE REGIONS ARE NOT FACING MUCH ISSUES LIKE
AIR POLLUTION ETC COMPARED TO SEVERAL OTHER CENTRAL REGIONS.BUT IF THE ISSUES
REMAIN SAME WITH NEGLIGENCE AND WITHOUT TAKING STRONG MEASURES,THEN IT IS SURE
THAT EVEN THE HIMALAYAS WOULD CHANGE.DUE TO THE CLIMATE CHANGES,THE ICE CAPS ARE
MELTING AT A HIGH RATE RESULTING IN INCREASE LEVEL OF SEA.
THANK YOU