Abstract :
Mountains of the world are the prime sources of glaciers and scenic beauty. However, for the last two decades biotic pressure due to expeditions, trekking, tourism and transhumance practices by the shepherds is continuously increasing in these areas. Practices like indiscriminate throwing of wastes, leaving behind self generated wastes and emission of poisonous gases from unattended wastes, cutting of trees like Rhododendron spp. (for fuelwood), introduction of hybrid sheep to replace indigenous ones, extraction of invaluable and endangered medicinal plants, reduction in wildlife because of illegal hunting and poaching (for meat, skin and medicine) adversely affect the expedition areas. The study conducted in one of the expeditions to the Pindari Valley of Indian Himalayas shows that 60.68% nonbiodegradable waste problem can be resolved by reuse (39.34%) and recycling (21.34%). But all the wastes need to be brought back by the visitors from expedition/trekking areas to the road heads for easy transportation to places where it can be re-used, recycled or new products discovered with innovative recovery initiatives. Also, public involvement in minimising the adverse eco-impacts is a must. Under such high biotic pressure, problem of solid waste, high melting rate of glaciers, a rational use of scarce local resources is urgently needed.
