NEW DELHI: The Millets that have vanished from Pahari Kitchen will soon be a 'household name'. Not only this, 'primary polluters' will be brought to book on  Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) to tame trash crisis in the Indian Himalaya. If all goes as planned, these twin objectives will soon see light of the day as Center along with the experts, Public Representatives from Mountains States have joined hands on these issues at the MOM states that concluded in New Delhi today.

To take this twin agenda of  Meet of the Mountain States, organised by  Integrating Mountain Initiative(IMI), to next level, Centre has pledged its support for promoting Millet with a mission for better human health and reducing/ eradicating plastic menace from Himalayan states for better ecology for the natives.

Union Environment Minister  Bhupinder Yadav Minister pledged support for handling Plastic Menace in Himalayas and also finding wayout for increasing production of millets in mountains to make it more productive for the farmers in the mountain  states.

Addressing the Meet of the Mountains  here Yadava said the Centre was committed to reduce the plastic menace in the mountains to protect local ecology.

He said the government would also explore ways as to how to make millet cultivation more productive and an economic asset to small farmers and women in particular in the mountains.

Yadav also welcome outcome of the SMDSXI and pledged for the need for sustainable tourism in the Indian Himalayas.

The minister acknowledged to Darjeeling  declaration that stressed the need for taking on plastic pollution in the Himalayas as well as fixing and implementing Extended Producer Responsibility(EPR) in the Himalayan state.

It needs to be mentioned here that millets were once pride of pahari cuisine- Chalauthi, Kadoli, dishes of Kauni and Cheene. But these dishes suddenly vanished with the  onset of cash economy and  horticulture revolution brought about mainly apple.   

In his concluding remarks Mr Rajkumar Ranjan minister of state for external affairs and education  also spoke about the plastic menace and sustainable tourism in the mountains and extended his support for the meet and its outcomes.

Rajkumar Ranjan commended IMI for its work and also proposed  introduction of Indian interdisciplinary mountain science studies in the mountain universities that would cater to the knowledge needs of the mountains.

President of IMI Mr  PD Rai highlighted the importance of the mountains and how IMI has been working for more than a decade for furthering the agenda for sustainable development in the mountains.

The outcome from SMSXI were shared by Mr Jagmet Tapka, Principal chief conservator of forest Ladakh and President sustainable development forum of Ladakh.

He highlighted the need to mainstream the theme of sustainable tourism across the Indian Himalayan region.

Mr Ashwini Chaubey commended the work of IMI in bringing the stakeholders on board from cross the mountains states.

He highlighted the fragility of Himalayan narrating the account of his own experience of having lived through the 2013 tragedy of Kedarnath.

Ajay Bhatt, Minister of State tourism mentioned that disasters are common thread that run across the mountain states, with every state having experienced their share of woes.

He said tourism is important economic activity and a cautionary approach had to be adopted for its sustainability.

Tashi Gyalson, chairperson Ladakh autonomous hill council said there is a need for taking forward  the resolve on extended producer responsibility(EPR) for managing plastic waste in the mountains.

He mentioned that companies were taking the mountains for granted. They would have to do more on EPR for the mountains, he asserted. Professor Satheesh  Chair of DCCC gave an overview of DVEEJ centre for climate change highlighting how mountains would have a higher degree of warming than other parts.

In two technical sessions experts discussed plastic management with a special focus on extended producer responsibility and resurgence of millets in the mountains.

Representatives from the mountains spoke about the various issues and challenges on both the themes.

The thematic sessions on millets and plastic menace were presented by Mr GS Rawat and Roshan Rai in the presence of the legislatures from the mountains states of Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

They underscored the need for mountain sustainability as well as the special focus on extended producer responsibility(EPR)  guidelines.

They assert that these are essential for redressing the Himalayan plastic pollution.

They also agreed in unison that there is a need for legislative action to end plastic pollution in the mountains.

After Milletman of India Nek Ram narrated his missionary success story in Karsog in Himachal Pradesh Legislators shared their childhood connection with the millets and need to revive its cultivation for the better human health and prosperity by bringing all on board  to save planet for which International Year for Millet provides a greater opportunity.

Meet of Mountain States was attended by legislators of Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and MP from Nagaland and scientists. 

Milletman of India PadamShree Nek Ram Sharma and Dr Rajan Kotru Known Environmentalist , Tikender Panwar, Ex Dy Mayor of Shimla  represented Himachal.

IMI had also invited Chaitanya Sharma MLA and Ashish Butail, Parliamentary Secretary, but due to Assembly Session they could not attend the meet.

Ramesh Negi,  former Chief Secretary, Arunachal Pradesh and vice-President IMI said the  MOM is annual event organised by the Integrated Mountain Initiative(IMI) that aims at churning out outcomes of sustainable mountain and bringing out mountain issues in public domain and  place them before policymakers in New Delhi, each mountain state  for action and intervention to bring about positive change.

The meet ended with the vote of thanks  presented Ms  Priya Shreshtha, secretary IMI.