Celebrations of drug addicts in Kasol from June 7 to 11 to be stopped.

Kullu district deputy commissioner Anurag Chandra Sharma, district police chief Madan Lal and sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Nishant Kumar have come at a cost to not try to stop the celebrations of drug addicts in Kasol from June 7 to 11. The Supreme Court has refused to interfere with the Himachal Pradesh High Court's order for the immediate transfer of the trio. The apex court has registered an FIR against the three officers. The High Court has stayed the order of the High Court on the registration but has shown no interest in staying the implementation of the rest of the judgment. It is clear that the Supreme Court is also conscious of the protection of the environment and natural habitats and the High Court is also in the mood to teach the administrative officers a lesson of responsibility.

The High Court had pronounced its verdict in June. Against this, the aforementioned three officers personally considered it appropriate to appeal to the Supreme Court. The Himachal Pradesh government separately filed a review petition before a larger bench of the high court seeking review of the single judge verdict. The high court has not yet started the review, but the relief given by the apex court is partial. The non-registration of FIRs means that the three government officials have escaped criminal prosecution for the time being.

This whole episode shows that environmental protection is still not an administrative priority in our country and the responsible authorities are also not equipped with a sense of duty. Consumption of synthetic drugs, apart from local drugs, is a common phenomenon in Himachal by tourists, especially foreign tourists, during musical parties. In the name of development of the tourism industry and provincial prosperity, the above phenomenon has often been ignored by the administrative authorities. It is this neglect that has turned certain places into dens for drug addicts. Kasol is prominent among them. Apart from this, Dharamkot, Barot (Mandi district) and some other places are also popular among foreign tourists because it is easy to arrange dance parties (rave parties) with noise music. In these parties, a 'dum-maro-dum' atmosphere is openly created through ganja and other local drugs.

It is a matter of concern that most of such places are in ecologically sensitive hills. While crowding, the constant movement of vehicles and loud music have eroded the protection of wildlife, the structure and existence of the hills have been continuously undermined by jazz-like echoes and mechanical and human intervention. The Parvati valley in Kullu district is one of the most fragile places in Himachal Pradesh from the point of view of ecological balance. It has been the most frequent occurrence of entire mountain collapses. Disasters like cloudbursts have also been a part of the fate of this region. The influx of outsiders, first Manikaran and now Kasol, is putting this delicate but extremely beautiful region on a terrific path of fear.

The influx of devotees from other parts of Punjab to Manikaran's gurdwaras and ancient temples could not be stopped, but the spread of Kasol as a 'mini Israel' could have been prevented. The Himachal Pradesh government has put the purity of the entire valley and the water of the Parvati river at stake by opening up hotels and resorts in the region. On top of that, there are rave parties and the families of politicians and administrative and police officers.

Join them! This custom of 'Ulti Vaad Khet Ko Khaye' has been happening in all the districts of Himachal. The rigidity shown by the High Court in this regard was commendable. The Supreme Court has pointed out that environmental governance is as important a part of governance as the administrative and criminal system. These lessons are not limited to one state, but their meanings apply to all the states of our country. For civil and police officers, the lesson is a warning in particular that their priority should be the welfare of the people, not the welfare of the rich or their political patrons.