Bathinda: Concerned over recent policy decisions permitting construction and regularisation in foothill areas with serious ecological concerns, environment organisation Public Action Committee (PAC) announced the launch of ‘Shivalik Morcha’, a public campaign to safeguard the Shivalik hills, recognised by environmental science as Punjab’s most sensitive and erosion-prone ecological belt. As the Shivalik Hills reflect a deep spiritual and cultural association with Lord Shiva, the day of Mahashivratri was specially chosen for the launch of the morcha. For generations, these foothills represented balance, restraint, and reverence for natural systems.
PAC emphasised that the Shivalik belt is not merely a geographic region. “It is a natural barrier against soil erosion and flash runoff, a critical groundwater recharge zone for Punjab’s plains, a biodiversity-supporting forest landscape, and a stabilising ecological shield for agriculture downstream,” it added. Over a century ago, the British administration enacted the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) to prevent degradation of these fragile foothills. Even colonial administrators recognised that disturbing this terrain would destabilise the plains and weaken agricultural prosperity. They treated the Shivaliks as a natural system whose value lay in protection rather than short-term extraction.PAC stated that the construction of permanent structures, road paving, slope alteration, and land fragmentation in such fragile terrain, without comprehensive scientific appraisal, risk long-term and irreversible environmental damage. The matter is presently sub judice. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) recorded that no allotments or permissions shall be granted pursuant to the impugned notification until further orders. Simultaneously, a writ petition challenging the policy is under consideration before the High Court.PAC stated that Shivalik Morcha is not directed against development. It is a call for development that complies with environmental law, scientific assessment, and constitutional safeguards. “The Shivaliks are Punjab’s last ecological shield. If these hills are destabilised, the consequences will extend beyond the slopes — affecting soil health, water security, and disaster resilience across the plains,” PAC stated.
