The Himalayan mountain system consists of 12 of the 18 major rivers of the country. Hundreds of small rivulets and thousands of streams make the Himalayas the “water bank of Asia”. It is 42% of the total water area of the country. But it is a great irony that these rivers are of no use to the local residents today. They are no longer in use today except for minor utilities of occasional irrigation, amounting to 2% of the total potential use.
The cases of natural disasters and landslides are becoming so diverse and widespread that even compensation and restoration becomes impractical or unfeasible. Also, when displacement is a result of pre-planned developmental projects undertaken by the government or other public authorities, it is unfortunate that people’s village get submerged under irrigation or hydro power dams.
Today, the villages in Uttarakhand, which are facing the brunt of migration, are getting emptied continuously. The situation in many unpopulated villages is such that due to migration, 2.85 lakh houses are hanging. Not only this, 968 villages have been declared as haunted. That is, no one lives in these villages and the houses there have turned into ruins. There are about two thousand villages, whose doors of closed houses open only on worship for special occasions.
All this has had an impact on agriculture as well. Since the formation of the state till date, 70 thousand hectares of agricultural land has turned into barren.
People of many villages of Uttarakhand have to walk upto 20 km even today to reach their villages by road.
There is also a famine of health facilities. Many times the seriously ill die on the way while being brought to the hospital.
Out of total 16000 villages in Uttarakhand, 8800 villages have been kept as water deficient villages. Women and girls have to walk for many kilometers to get potable water.
Students from many villages of Uttarakhand have to walk a distance of several kilometers every day to reach the college to pursue their college level studies.
Case-1
Geeta, daughter of Surendra Singh of Sayun village was injured after falling from a cliff. Which was being transported by the villagers to the road in a palanquin, but even after coming 12 km, Geeta died on the way due to lack of prompt treatment.
Case-2
The health of Hukam Singh, a resident of Kalgoth village, suddenly deteriorated. He complained of abdominal pain, he was also vomiting. The villagers sent him to the hospital keeping him in a cot. But he died on the way.
Case-3
Mamta, daughter of Jagdish Singh, a resident of Syun village, suddenly deteriorated one night, she was being brought to the hospital, but due to lack of prompt treatment, she also died on the way.
Several unfortunate similar cases are being reported daily in uttarakhand.
To stop the continuous migration from the villages of Uttarakhand, to provide basic facilities like food grains, water, employment, health, roads etc. to the villagers; it is necessary that every block should have all the modern facilities for the population living there.
Therefore, we have planned to make UTTARAKHAND; the Switzerland of Asia. For this, Initially we will develop ten top natural and spiritual holy places as DEVBHOOMI HEALTH & FILM TOURISM RESORTS equipped with guest houses, leisure, excursion and film shooting facilities with film tourism with road, water, education, employment with internet connectivity.
On successful implementation of these DEVBHOOMI HEALTH & FILM TOURISM RESORTS, similar 100 health RESORTS will be developed gradually in the whole Uttarakhand on the same lines.
Vigorous publicity of these DEVBHOOMI HEALTH & FILM TOURISM RESORTS will be started in all print media, TV media and social Media with developing a DEVBHOOMI HEALTH & FILM TOURISM RESORTS’S web site to attract the global film producers and tourists.
The will result as under :
1. The people who have migrated from these villages will come back to their villages as soon as these DEVBHOOMI HEALTH & FILM TOURISM RESORTS are developed. Then they will get medicines and means of livelihood from these health tourism resorts.
2. All of them can take the help of tourism and cottage industry for additional essential amenities and will like to stay in these village.
3. Efforts will be made to make available drinking water, food, vegetables, food items, education in these tourism villages.
Along with this, the following efforts will also be made for the promotion and development of all the villages of UTTARAKHAND:
1. Use of Appropriate Water Conservation Measures.
2. To make people aware and trained about the techniques of water conservation.
3. Khal, chullu (small ponds) will be made to conserve water in the fields.
4. Natural water sources will be restored.
5. Technological improvements in watermills will be made to make them run smoothly even in less water.
6. By implementing all government schemes properly, cooperation will be taken from other government departments including agriculture, cooperative, horticulture, dairy, animal husbandry, rural development.
UTTARAKHAND FILM CITY is also determined to make Uttarakhand; a World Heritage Place.
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